L«W 


WHERE  STRONGEST 
TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 


By 
ROBERT  MCREYNOLDS 

Author  of 

"Thirty  Years  on  the  Frontier,"      "Rodney  Wilkes," 

"The  Luxury  of  Poverty,"    "A  Modern  Jean 

Valj«an,"    "Facts  and  Fancies,"  Etc. 


GOWDY-SIMMONS    PUBLISHING   CO. 

Colorado  Springs,  Colo. 
1907 


Copyright  1907 
By  Robert  McReynolds. 


To 
Honorable  John    B.  Stephen 

and 

his    estimable   wife, 

from  the  romantic  story  of  whose 

lives,  the  principal  incidents 

of  this  work  are  taken. 


Colorado  City,  Colorado 
1907 


2075488 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


WRECK  OF  THE  SPANISH  SLOOP  SEVILLE. 

THE  EARTH  BEGAN  TO  ROCK  AND  REEL. 

THE  AREQUIPENA. 

THE  HOME  VOYAGE  OF  THE  AVEN  WAS  FRAUGHT  WITH 

ALL  THE  DANGERS  OF  THE  SEA. 
FLIGHT  OF  THE  TORPEDO  BOAT. 
SOUNDING  THE  DEPTHS. 


OH 


W 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    UNDER  THE  SWORD  OF  DAMOCLES 1 

II    IN  DAYS  OF  INNOCENCE 16 

III  THROUGH  MISTS  OF  THE  SEA 23 

IV  GRAVES  GAVE  UP  THEIR  DEAD 33 

V  FAIREST  FLOWER  OF  THE  CORDILLERAS....    42 

VI    A  HUMILIATING  INCIDENT 48 

VII    IN  THE  THROES  OF  REVOLUTION.. 56 

VIII    VIVA  GENERALISSIMO  PIEROLA 64 

IX    AMID  THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 72 

X    WE  MEET  AGAIN,  FELICITA 82 

XI    THE  MASQUE  BALL  AT  TIRAVAYA 90 

XII    COWARDLY  ACT  OF  A  VILLAIN 99 

XIII  MURDEROUS  PLAN  OF  THE  INSURGENTS 107 

XIV  FOR  THE  SAKE  OF  HUMANITY 117 

XV    IN  DESPERATE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFB 127 

XVI    THE  SCREAMING  WINDS  OF  NIGHT 135 

XVII    THE  BARBARIAN  MEETS  His  INGOMAR 143 

XVIII    ON  SUNNY  SEAS  BOUND  NORTH 151 

XIX    DEATH  SHIPS  OF  THE  SEA —  159 

XX    A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  CHEROKEES 168 

XXI    CARSON'S  BLANK  PAGES  IN  LIFB 177 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII    A  VOICE  FROM  CENTURIES  PAST 187 

XXIII  THE  Two  OLD  BLACK  CROWS 197 

XXIV  THE  RECKLESS  HAND  OF  FATE 206 

XXV    CORDS  OF  LOVE  ARE  STRONG 215 

XXVI  WHEN  THE  DEATH  GLOOM  GATHERS....  223 

XXVII    A  NIGHT  OF  TRAGEDIES 232 

XXVIII    FROM  OUT  THE  SHADOWY  PAST 241 


Where  Strongest  Tide  Winds  Blew 


i. 


UNDER   THE  SWOED   OF   DAMOCLES. 

We  built  our  cabin  high  on  the  slopes  of 
the  Sangre  de  Christo  range,  overlooking 
the  broad,  level  San  Luis  Valley,  in  Colo- 
rado. At  the  rear  of  the  cabin  rose  a  tow- 
ering cliff  or  rather  a  huge  slab  of  rock 
standing  edgewise  more  than  two  hundred 
feet  high,  apparently  the  upheaval  of  some 
mighty  convulsion  of  nature  in  ages  gone. 
Near  the  base  of  this  cliff  flowed  a  clear 
crystal  spring. 

Some  hundred  yards  west  of  the  cabin 
was  the  mouth  of  a  tunnel  into  which  we 
had  drifted  with  pick,  shovel  and  giant 
powder,  a  distance  of  300  feet  in  five 
months  of  hard  toil.  A  trail  led  from  the 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

tunnel  to  the  cabin  along  the  mountain  side, 
which  was  thickly  studded  with  tall  pines. 
Another  trail  led  down  the  mountain  slopes 
in  a  winding  way  to  the  valley,  almost  a 
mile  below.  Above,  reaching  far  into  the 
blue  dome  of  the  sky,  rose  the  peaks  of  the 
snow-capped  Sangre  de  Christo,  glistening 
in  the  morning  sunlight,  which  threw 
gaunt,  fantastic  shadows  in  canon  and  deep 
ravine. 

It  was  a  wild,  weird  scene,  where  man, 
in  strength  and  vigor,  seems  to  imbibe  a 
portion  of  the  divine  essence  that  lives,  and 
moves,  and  has  its  being  in  the  vast  soli- 
tudes. 

We  struck  pay  rock  at  the  first  thirty 
feet  of  tunneling,  so  Amos'  assay  showed, 
and  the  rock  had  gradually  increased  in 
.value,  week  by  week.  Buchan  would  take 
samples  of  the  ore  every  week  or  ten  days 
and  walk  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles 
to  Saguache,  where  old  man  Amos,  expert 
geologist  and  assayer,  would  for  two  dol- 
lars and  fifty  cents  make  out  a  clean  print- 
ed slip  with  figures  in  red  ink,  showing  so 


UNDER   THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

many  ounces  of  lead,  copper,  silver  and 
gold  to  the  ton. 

The  ore  had  not  yet  reached  a  value 
which  would  pay  to  ship  it,  but  the  increase 
of  values  was  so  steady,  and  Amos  was  so 
extravagantly  encouraging,  that  we  were 
always  in  buoyant  expectation  of  rich  ore. 
He  would  say,  "You  boys  have  a  wonder- 
ful prospect.  Keep  right  on  with  your 
work ;  it  is  getting  richer  with  every  stroke 
of  your  pick  and  you  are  likely  to  uncover 
a  million  dollar  drift  any  day. 

Buchan  would  bring  the  assay  certifi- 
cate back  to  the  cabin,  where  we  would  sit 
late  by  the  light  of  the  pine  knots  in  the 
fire  place  and  talk  of  the  golden  millions 
which  capitalists  would  yet  gladly  pay  for 
a  half  interest  in  the  '  *  Aberdeen. ' ' 

That  was  the  name  Buchan  had  given 
the  mine,  after  his  home  town  in  Scotland, 
of  which  he  always  spoke  with  a  fond  ten- 
derness. 

Winter  had  come  and  we,  John  Buchan, 
Will  Carson,  and  myself,  had  chipped  in 
almost  our  last  dollar  and  brought  a  wagon 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

load  of  flour,  bacon  and  canned  goods  from 
Saguache  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  then 
carried  them  on  our  backs  to  the  cabin. 
We  quit  work  on  the  mine  for  ten  days 
and  chopped  firewood,  which  we  corded  at 
the  rear  of  our  house..  All  hands  felt  that 
we  were  as  snugly  housed  for  the  winter 
as  the  big  grizzly  bears  in  their  lairs  among 
the  rocks. 

Snow  had  been  falling  for  several  days 
and  it  lay  deep  on  the  mountain  slopes  and 
in  the  wide  expanse  of  the  valley  below. 
We  had  not  had  an  assay  for  two  weeks 
and  all  were  anxious  for  another  report 
from  Amos.  Buchan  wanted  his  mail  also, 
and  he  took  a  small  bag  of  the  rock  and 
tramped  the  twenty-five  miles  to  Saguache. 
It  was  a  three  days'  trip  wading  through 
the  unbroken  snow  drifts,  and  it  was  night 
when  he  returned,  weary,  footsore  and 
angry. 

I  can  see  him  yet,  tears  trickling  down 
his  honest  face,  as  he  tried  to  tell  some- 
thing about  Amos.  He  spoke  of  "the 
scamp,  the  villain,  and  robber,"  and  then 


UNDER   THE    SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

choked  with  rage.  Like  all  Scotchmen,  the 
more  he  thought  of  the  wrong  done  him, 
the  angrier  he  became ;  he  would  be  more 
angry  tomorrow  and  it  would  be  the  day 
after  that  his  anger  would  reach  the  cli- 
max, and  begin  to  subside.  This  was  not  a 
peculiarity  of  Buchan.  It  is  a  characteris- 
tic of  the  Scotch. 

We  made  him  a  cup  of  coffee  and  seated 
him  comfortably  before  the  fire.  When  he 
calmed  down  somewhat,  he  explained. 

"The  first  thing  I  did  the  next  morning 
after  reaching  Saguache,  was  to  eat  break- 
fast, and  then  I  took  the  samples  of  ore  to 
Amos'  assay  office.  He  was  garrulous  as 
usual,  and  said  to  come  in  two  hours  and 
he  would  have  the  certificate  of  the  assay 
ready  for  me.  When  I  again  called  he 
handed  me  the  certificate  and  I  paid  him 
the  usual  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  It 
showed  nine  dollars  and  ninety  cents  to  the 
ton.  The  usual  increase  of  ten  per  cent, 
over  the  last  assay. 

"I  crossed  over  to  the  postoffice,  and 
while  waiting  for  my  mail,  I  noticed  the 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

snow  standing  ten  inches  high  on  the  cap 
of  the  flue  of  Amos'  assay  furnace.  I 
thought,  how  in  the  deuce  did  he  assay  our 
ore  without  melting  the  snow  on  the  cap 
of  the  flue?  The  more  I  thought  about  it 
the  more  I  was  mystified.  I  went  across 
to  his  office  and  said,  'Amos,  I  suppose 
you  gave  us  the  usual  fire  test  on  this  ore  ? ' 
1  Yep, '  he  answered.  *  Then  tell  me, '  I  cried, 
'how  in  the  devil  did  you  make  the  fire  test 
without  melting  the  snow  off  the  cap  of 
your  furnace  flue  ? '  *  Too  cold  to  melt, '  he 
replied. 

"Then  I  rushed  past  him  into  the  back 
room.  The  furnace  was  cold  and  the  frost 
had  gathered  on  the  iron  door.  I  don't 
suppose  there  had  been  a  fire  in  it  for  a 
week.  I  took  Amos  by  the  whiskers  and 
told  him  to  own  up  that  he  had  not  made  a 
fire  test  of  our  ore.  Then  he  acknowl- 
edged that  he  had  been  guessing  at  it  all 
along." 

"You  don't  mean  there  is  a  doubt  about 
us  having  pay  rock?"  we  yelled  in  a  cho- 
rus. 


6 


UNDER   THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

"All  kinds  of  doubt,"  said  Buchan.  "I 
am  told  there  is  a  suspicion  that  Amos 
gives  everybody  an  assay  showing  values, 
where  there  are  no  values — this  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  up  work  in  the  district 
— and  to  those  who  have  found  values,  he 
gives  them  an  assay  showing  nothing.  At 
the  same  time  he  gives  Rayder,  the  Denver 
capitalist,  a  tip  and  he  buys  up  the  prop- 
erty for  a  song,  giving  Amos  a  fat  com- 
mission for  his  part  in  the  deal.  The 
chances  are  that  we  have  no  more  gold  in 
our  rock  than  there  is  in  that  jug  handle. ' ' 

The  news  was  astounding.  We  sat  for  a 
while  by  the  fire  like  men  stricken  dumb. 
There  was  no  doubting  Buchan 's  state- 
ment. Deception  was  no  part  of  his  na- 
ture. He  was  nearly  twenty-six  years  of 
age,  athletic,  strong  and  quick  of  percep- 
tion. He  had  seen  much  of  the  world  and 
knew  men.  No,  there  could  be  no  doubt; 
he  was  not  mistaken. 

We  were  heartsick.  Almost  our  last  dol- 
lar had  gone  to  pay  for  the  bogus  assay. 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

Our  golden  dream  of  months  was  vanish- 
ing. Carson  broke  the  silence. 

"I  will  go  to  Saguache  tomorrow.  I 
shall  pulverize  that  jug  handle  and  take  it 
to  Amos;  he  does  not  know  me;  I  shall 
have  him  assay  it,  and  if  he  gives  me  gold 
values  there  will  be  trouble ! ' ' 

I  was  awakened  the  next  morning  by  the 
sound  of  a  hammer.  Carson  was  pulveriz- 
ing the  jug  handle.  After  a  hasty  break- 
fast, he  buckled  on  his  cartridge  belt  with 
a  Colt  44-six  shooter  in  his  holster,  and 
was  soon  wading  through  the  snowdrifts 
down  the  trail  towards  Saguache.  I 
watched  him  through  the  window  until  he 
was  lost  to  view. 

The  sun  rose  in  a  clear  sky;  the  glisten- 
ing peaks  of  the  Sangre  de  Christo  shone 
white  against  a  turquoise  blue;  clumps  of 
snow  melted  from  the  branches  of  the  pines 
and  made  hollows  in  the  smooth  banks  of 
white  where  they  fell. 

I  turned  to  Buchan.  He  was  tossing 
restlessly  in  his  bunk. 

"I  would  hate  to  be  Amos  if  he  gives 

8 


UNDEB   THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

Carson  an  assay  of  values  from  that  jug 
handle. 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  muttered  incoherently. 
"The  day  of  reckoning  comes  to  all.  I 
have  seen  it.  I  have  seen  the  sky  turn 
black,  the  waves  rise  mountain-high  out  of 
the  sea,  the  earth  rock  and  reel,  the  dead 
roll  out  of  their  coffins  in  the  cerements 
of  their  graves,  the  living  fall  upon  their 
faces  to  hide  from  the  wrath  of  Almighty 
God!  I  have  seen  it  just  as  Paul  tells 
about  it.  I  have  heard  the  roar  of  the 
winds,  seen  palaces  crumble  and  fall — like 
John  of  Patmos,  I  lift  up  my  voice — I, 
John." 

I  was  at  his  side  in  a  moment,  and  saw 
that  he  was  delirious.  The  exertion 
through  the  snow  the  day  before,  the  loss 
of  sleep  and  intense  anger,  had  made  him 
ill.  I  knew  of  a  few  simple  remedies  at 
hand,  and  in  a  little  while  I  had  him  sleep- 
ing soundly. 

The  sun  became  warmer  as  the  day  ad- 
vanced. The  snow  melted  on  the  cabin 
roof  and  froze  in  drooping  icicles  at  the 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

eaves.  All  day  I  went  noiselessly  about 
the  cabin,  letting  Buchan  sleep.  A  premo- 
nition of  impending  danger  crept  over  me. 
I  tried  to  throw  off  the  dread  feeling  by 
reading,  but  I  could  not  concentrate  my 
thoughts  on  the  pages  of  the  book.  Strange 
thoughts  came  like  they  did  to  the  man  who 
was  being  taken  to  the  guillotine  and 
begged  time  of  his  captors  to  put  his 
thoughts  on  paper.  I  thought  I  would 
write  mine  that  day,  or  remember  them  at 
least,  but  I  cannot  recall  them.  I  only 
know  they  were  strange  and  fascinating, 
as  if  I  was  living  another  life,  on  another 
planet. 

I  brought  in  wood  and  water  for  the 
night.  The  sound  of  the  door  slamming 
awoke  Buchan.  He  arose  and  sat  by  the 
fire,  which  blazed  up  brightly  from  its 
fresh  supply  of  pine  logs. 

"Better,  I  see,"  I  observed,  "but  heav- 
ens you  were  locoed  this  morning!  talking 
about  the  resurrection,  the  quaking  earth, 
and  the  dead  rolling  out  from  their 
graves!" 

10 


UNDEB   THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 


. . 


'All  true,"  he  said,  quietly.  "I  have 
seen  those  things,  and  what  has  happened 
once  may  happen  again. ' ' 

I  was  standing  by  the  window,  looking 
out  over  the  snow  covered  San  Luis  valley, 
when  even  as  he  spoke  I  felt  the  ground 
tremble.  There  was  a  rush  of  air  and  the 
cabin  became  filled  with  a  fine  snow  that 
was  stifling,  then  a  thunderous  roar,  and 
all  was  utter  darkness. 

I  was  choking  with  the  snow  particles.  - 1 
groped  to  the  door  and  opened  it  and  felt 
a  solid  bank  of  snow. 

I  realized  then  that  we  were  buried  be- 
neath a  snow  slide. 

We  worked  for  hours,  in  silence  and 
darkness,  digging  our  way  through  the 
snow  and  shoveling  it  back  into  the  cabin 
as  we  tunneled  toward  the  cliff.  It  was 
early  morning  when  we  saw  the  light  of 
day. 

Once  in  the  open  where  we  could  breathe 
the  pure  air  we  beheld  a  sight  that  would 
appall  the  strongest  heart.  The  great  flat 
rock,  that  had  stood  on  edge  at  the  back  of 

11 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

the  cabin,  was  now  slanting  at  a  sharp  an- 
gle above  our  heads.  The  avalanche  from 
near  the  summit  of  the  Sangre  de  Christo 
had  struck  the  cliff  and  with  its  incalcula- 
ble tons  tilted  it,  piling  itself  hundreds  of 
feet  in  the  depth  about  us.  The  cliff  might 
fall  at  any  moment  and  blot  us  out  of  exis- 
tence. 

Beaching  a  point  of  sight  near  the  open 
space  at  the  edge  of  the  base  of  the  cliff  we 
could  see  something  of  the  awful  havoc 
wrought  by  the  avalanche.  Huge  rocks  had 
been  loosened  from  their  foundations  and 
with  the  speed  of  a  meteor  dashed  to  the 
valley  below.  Great  pines  one  hundred 
feet  in  height  had  been  torn  up  by  their 
roots  and  hurled  down  the  mountain  side 
by  the  tremendous  weight  of  the  avalanche 

The  cliff  had  sheltered  our  cabin  and 
saved  our  lives. 

We  cleared  the  snow  away  from  the 
chimney  and  out  of  the  cabin.  Our  wood 
was  dry  and  we  soon  had  a  cheerful  fire 
blazing  and  the  tea  kettle  boiling.  But  liv- 
ing under  that  slanting  cliff,  from  which  we 

12 


UNDER   THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

could  not  escape,  we  felt,  indeed  that  the 
sword  of  Damocles  hung  by  a  spider  web 
above  our  heads. 

When  we  had  rested  some  and  refreshed 
ourselves  with  coffee,  we  tunneled  from 
the  open  space  under  the  cliff  to  near  the 
entrance  of  the  mine,  intending  to  live  in 
the  tunnel  until  the  melting  snows  of  the 
spring  released  us  from  our  prison.  But 
when  we  had  tunneled  through  the  snow  to 
near  the  entrance  of  the  mine,  we  found 
our  way  blocked  by  a  debris  of  rock  and 
trees  which  would  require  weeks  of  labor 
to  remove.  Tunnels  in  other  directions 
gave  us  no  better  results,  and  we  became 
resigned  to  our  fate,  returning  to  the  cabin 
to  while  away  the  dreary  hours  until  the 
hanging  cliff  above  should  become  our 
grave  stone. 

Days  of  gloom  and  monotony  came  and 
went.  We  dug  the  snow  away  from  our 
windows  and  tunneled  a  hole  to  the  top 
which  gave  us  a  glare  of  reflected  light. 

Buchan  had  hitherto  been  silent  as  to  his 
past  life.  By  a  few  stray  remarks  we  had 

13 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

caught  glimpses  of  his  romantic  career, 
but  now  he  began  relating  in  detail  inci- 
dents of  his  early  life  in  Scotland,  or  on  the 
high  seas,  and  later  in  Peru.  His  stories 
were  so  full  of  human  interest  and  replete 
with  love  and  romance,  that  I  became  more 
than  ever  interested  in  him.  But  my  hear- 
ing was  bad,  and  it  had  been  getting  worse 
since  the  day  of  the  avalanche,  so  I  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  write.  I  could  read 
better  than  listen,  besides  he  would  write 
his  better  thoughts  and  nobler  sentiments 
when  he  would  not  speak  them. 

It  was  writing  these  memoirs  of  his 
eventful  life  that  furnished  him  pastime 
and  I  was  employed  in  reading  them,  dur- 
ing the  two  months  of  our  imprisonment 
in  our  snow  bound  cabin. 

By  the  dim  light  of  the  window  by  day 
and  the  blaze  of  a  pine  log  at  night,  he 
wrote  upon  the  scraps  of  paper  found 
about  the  cabin.  As  I  now  review  the  pile 
I  find  it  made  up  of  paper  bags,  margins  of 
newspapers,  fly  leaves  from  a  few  old 

14 


UNDER   THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

books,  and  much  of  it  on  strips  of  a  yellow 
window  shade,  also  on  the  backs  of  fancy 
calendars  with  which  Carson  had  adorned 
onr  cabin,  and  almost  a  whole  chapter  I 
find  penciled  finely  on  a  pair  of  lady's 
cuffs  that  were  strangely  out  of  place  in  a 
miner's  hut. 

Buchan  does  not  know  that  I  am  going 
to  give  his  story  to  the  public  and  I  shall 
have  to  take  chances  and  risk  his  displeas- 
ure. In  that  event  I  have  the  defence  of 
pleading  that  no  man  has  the  right  to  with- 
hold so  good  a  tale  from  the  world. 


16 


n. 

IN    DAYS   OP   INNOCENCE. 

As  I  peer  into  the  dim  past  that  haunts 
the  scenes  of  my  childhood  in  Aberdeen, 
Scotland,  a  thousand  memories  troop  by 
like  the  scenes  of  a  panorama  with  the 
footlights  turned  low ;  and  when  I  contem- 
plate them  in  a  meditative  hour  it  leaves  me 
with  as  lonesome  a  feeling  as  if  I  had  lis- 
tened to  the  old  time  song,  "Home  Sweet 
Home,'*  which  I  have  heard  a  thousand 
times  in  distant  climes,  sometimes  sung  to 
crowded  audiences  at  the  opera,  and  again 
by  the  pioneer  as  he  rattled  his  prairie 
schooner  over  the  plains. 

It  is  a  song  that  never  grows  old  and 
never  will  so  long  as  men  leave  the  home 
of  their  childhood,  around  whose  hearth- 
stones still  play  ghost-like,  the  recollec- 
tions of  bye-gone  years,  tenderly  touching 
their  sympathies  as  they  pause  for  a  mo- 

16 


SOUNDING  THE   DEPTHS 


IN  DAYS  OF  INNOCENCE. 

ment  in  their  monied  pursuits  in  other 
lands. 

The  old  red  school  house  on  Princeton 
street,  with  the  tall  lank  figure  of  Ellwood 
for  its  presiding  master  and  who  believed 
in  and  practiced  the  command  of  the  Holy 
Writ:  "Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the 
child,"  was  to  me  in  those  years  of  ten- 
derness, a  dismal  contemplation.  But  Sun- 
days had  a  brighter  hue  when  Mother 
would  dress  me  in  full  Highland  suit  of 
tartan,  and  adorn  my  cap  with  an  eagle 
feather,  surmounted  with  a  brooch  of  the 
design  of  an  arm  with  a  dagger,  bearing 
the  motto,  "We  fear  nae  fae."  With  my 
small  clagmore  and  buckled  shoes  and 
plaid,  how  proudly  I  would  walk  up  to  the 
barracks  at  Castle  Gate,  where  the  sentry 
would  salute  me,  and  give  me  permission  to 
enter. 

But  those  days  had  their  troubles  as 
well  as  pleasures.  The  West  North  street 
boys  had  a  grievance  against  those  of  the 
East  North  street  and  one  Saturday  both 
sides  met  in  battle  array,  armed  with  wood- 

17 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

en  swords,  near  the  North  church  at  Queen 
street.  After  a  determined  resistance 
West  North  street  was  victorious,  when 
someone  presented  us  with  a  flag.  It  was 
a  common  piece  of  bunting,  but  to  our 
young  heroes  it  was  something  to  be  looked 
up  to  and  defended  with  our  lives  before 
the  honor  of  West  North  street  should  be 
sullied. 

That  banner  cost  us  many  a  headache, 
and  many  a  soiled  suit  of  clothes  after  the 
usual  Saturday  battle.  On  one  occasion  we 
sallied  forth  as  usual  to  the  battle-field, 
carrying  our  banner,  and  shouting  deri- 
sively at  our  foe.  The  enemy  had  been  re- 
inforced and  after  a  hard  struggle,  they 
captured  our  flag  and  carried  it  off  in 
triumph  to  East  North  street. 

Our  fellows  were  a  crest-fallen  lot,  as  we 
sat  on  the  steps  of  the  church  looking  the 
picture  of  dejection.  However,  a  few  days 
later,  1  summoned  the  boys  to  meet  in  an 
old  building  in  Ferrier's  Lane.  There 
were  fifteen  of  us  and  we  came  armed  with 
our  wooden  swords.  After  much  debate 


18 


IN  DAYS  OF  INNOCENCE. 

over  the  loss  of  our  flag,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  notify  the  East  North  street 
fellows,  that  we  were  ready  to  offer  battle, 
and  dared  them  to  meet  us  the  following 
Saturday  and  bring  the  captured  flag.  They 
accepted  the  challenge.  When  we  met 
again  in  the  old  building  by  the  hazy  and 
flickering  light  of  a  tallow  candle,  with  up- 
raised swords  we  swore  to  re-capture  our 
flag,  uphold  the  honor  of  our  street  or  die  in 
the  attempt.  I  was  chosen  captain  on  this 
occasion,  and  never  did  a  general  rack  his 
brain  more  for  a  plan  of  success  than  I  did 
to  win  this  battle.  Finally  I  hit  upon  a 
stratagem  and  after  school  submitted  it  to 
all.  It  was  to  proceed  to  the  usual  place  of 
battle,  but  at  the  corner  of  Queen  street 
five  boys  were  to  be  stationed  out  of  sight, 
and  when  both  armies  met  they  were  to 
rush  in  on  their  standard  bearer  and  cap- 
ture the  flag.  We  met,  and  even  to  this  day 
I  shudder  at  the  ferocity  of  that  battle. 
Twice  I  was  knocked  down;  several  times 
our  street  was  on  the  retreat  when  some- 
one shouted — " Remember  our  oath!"  and 


19 


WHEBE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

then  another  desperate  rush,  and  along 
with  the  charge  of  the  five  secreted  ones 
which  so  surprised  the  East  North  street 
boys  that  they  finally  yielded,  and  we  car- 
ried off  our  flag  in  triumph.  John  Taylor's 
head  was  cut,  John  Ingerham's  eyes  were 
black,  my  right  knee  cap  was  out  of  place 
and  six  or  eight  others  were  more  or  less 
wounded.  The  boys  of  East  North  street 
fared  about  the  same.  Good  old  Doctor 
Ellis  living  in  King  street  witnessed  the 
fight,  but  he  kept  my  secret,  for  I  told 
Mother  that  I  was  hurt  in  running  a  race. 

And  so  those  delightful  days  of  early 
boyhood  passed  like  one  long  summer  day. 
But  a  change  came.  My  father  died  and 
in  a  few  months  more,  my  loving  Mother, 
after  a  lingering  illness,  passed  away.  I 
then  left  the  home  of  my  childhood  to  live 
with  my  older  brother,  James. 

Although  every  possible  kindness  was 
shown  me,  there  was  lacking  a  mother's 
love,  a  mother's  sympathy  and  cheering 
words,  things  that  touch  the  tender  chords 
of  a  boy's  heart.  At  that  time  I  was  sent 

20 


IN  DAYS  OF  INNOCENCE. 

to  the  Ledingham  Academy,  but  it  was  use- 
less. The  golden  veil  through  which  I  had 
looked  out  on  the  world  was  lifted,  the 
chain  of  love  and  affection  broken.  I  saw 
the  great  ships  come  with  their  strange  men 
from  other  ports  of  the  world.  I  saw  them 
unfurl  their  snowy  sails  and  speed  over  the 
blue  waters  bound  for  the  shores  of  other 
climes.  I  watched  them  until  they  were  but 
a  speck  of  white  down  on  the  blue  horizon, 
and  I  longed  to  be  on  board — to  feel  the 
ship  roll  upon  the  billows  and  hear  the 
wind  whistling  through  the  rigging,,to  climb 
aloft  and  view  the  limitless  expanse  of 
ocean  and  feel  that  I  was  a  part  of  these 
white  specters  of  the  sea. 

One  day  I  saw  in  the  windows  of  Knox 
&  Co.,  a  sign  which  read : 

"Two  apprentices  wanted  for  the  sea." 

I  went  in  and  told  them  I  wanted  to  be- 
come a  sailor.  About  this  time  another  lad 
about  one  year  older  than  myself  came  in 
on  the  same  errand.  An  old  gentleman, 
after  surveying  us  both  for  some  moments, 
remarked  that  in  his  opinion  we  were  too 

21 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

young,  but  told  us  to  wait  a  few  minutes  as 
Captain  McKenzie  would  be  in  soon. 

When  Captain  McKenzie  came  in  he 
asked  us  if  it  was  with  the  consent  of  our 
parents  that  we  made  application.  Being 
answered  in  the  affirmative  by  James 
Mitchell,  the  other  boy,  I  answered  that  my 
father  and  mother  were  dead,  but  my 
brother  would  sign  the  necessary  papers. 


22 


in. 

THROUGH  MISTS  OF  THE  SEA. 

Captain  McKenzie  sprang  from  his  berth 
in  the  wildest  excitement.  A  moment  be- 
fore a  low  voice  called  "Captain,"  at  his 
state  room  door.  "Who  is  there?"  he 
asked.  "Donovan,"  came  the  guarded  re- 
ply. "Captain,  the  mate  has  conspired 
with  the  crew  to  mutiny  and  your  throat 
will  be  cut  in  an  hour. ' ' 

James  Mitchell  and  I  were  apprentices 
on  board  the  bark  "Aven  of  Aberdeen." 
My  brother  James  having  reluctantly  con- 
sented that  I  ghould  follow  the  fortunes 
of  the  sea,  signed  the  indenture  papers. 

The  brig  was  bound  for  Archangel,  Rus- 
sia, and  we  had  on  board  a  large  amount 
of  specie  and  plate,  the  private  fortunes 
of  a  Russian  Jew  returning  to  his  native 
land  after  many  years  of  success  as  a  mer- 
chant in  Alexandria.  Our  berth  was  near 

23 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

the  captain's,  and  Mitchell  had  heard  the 
warning  given  by  Donovan.  He  was  out  of 
his  berth  in  an  instant  and  gave  me  to  un- 
derstand there  was  mutiny  aboard.  To- 
gether we  entered  the  captain's  cabin. 

The  Jew  was  apprised  of  the  situation. 
It  was  the  intention  of  the  mate  and  crew 
to  murder  him  and  the  Captain  and  put 
the  vessel  about  for  a  piratical  cruise  in  the 
Indian  Ocean.  They  were  a  motley  gang 
of  foreigners,  low  bred  and  capable  of  any 
crime  when  led  by  a  man  like  the  mate, 
fresh  from  a  career  of  lawlessness  on  the 
China  coast. 

The  Jew  was  the  most  abject  picture  of 
terror  I  ever  saw.  His  hands  trembled  and 
he  shook  like  a  man  in  a  chill.  He  wanted 
to  hide,  but  that  was  useless.  Captain  Mc- 
Kenzie  armed  himself  with  a  belaying  pin. 
He  placed  one  in  the  hands  of  each  of  us 
boys  and  bade  us  follow  him  in  silence.  We 
cautiously  went  on  deck  and  we  found  the 
helm  deserted,  and  the  mate  and  the  en- 
tire crew  sitting  together  and  drinking  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  ship. 

24 


THROUGH  MISTS  OF  THE  SEA. 

Captain  McKenzie  sprang  into  their 
midst  and  with  one  blow  from  the  pin  killed 
the  mate.  This  subdued  the  others  and 
they  slunk  away  to  their  duties.  The  cap- 
tain then  called  the  men  in  front  of  him 
and  after  ordering  Donovan  to  the  helm, 
told  them  he  was  done  with  them  and  that 
their  future  conduct  would  determine  their 
fate.  At  the  same  time  he  threatened  to 
kill  the  first  man  that  manifested  a  mutin- 
ous disposition,  or  dared  to  cross  a  given 
line  on  the  deck  without  his  permission.  He 
then  ordered  the  mate's  body  overboard 
and  told  the  men  to  return  to  their  duties. 

The  Captain  and  Donovan  took  turns  at 
the  helm,  while  Mitchell  or  I  was  stationed 
as  a  lookout  to  give  instant  warning  of  any 
suspicious  movements  on  the  part  of  the 
crew.  For  more  than  a  week  we  stood  to 
our  posts  of  duty,  when  one  morning  we 
sailed  into  the  smooth  waters  of  the  port 
of  Archangel,  weary  and  exhausted  from 
the  intense  nervous  strain  and  loss  of 
sleep. 

The  Captain  notified  the  British  consul 

25 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

and  a  file  of  soldiers  came  on  board  and 
arrested  the  crew.  Six  of  them  were  after- 
wards sent  to  prison  for  life. 

The  home  voyage  of  the  Aven  was 
fraught  with  all  the  dangers  of  the  sea.  We 
had  secured  another  crew  in  Archangel 
but  their  seamanship  was  bad.  When  a 
sudden  storm  would  strike  us  it  required 
herculean  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  cap- 
tain and  Donovan  to  prevent  the  ship  from 
being  driven  ashore  on  the  rocks. 

Snow  was  falling  and  a  wintry  wind 
dashed  the  waves  over  our  decks  and  coat- 
ed the  bulwarks  with  a  mail  of  ice.  Sleet 
and  snow  clung  to  the  rigging,  making 
every  effort  to  handle  the  ship  a  hazardous 
one.  For  three  days  we  battled  against  the 
elements  and  then  we  came  in  contact  with 
ice  floes.  Once  our  position  was  so  perilous 
that  the  Captain  ordered  the  boats  provi- 
sioned and  ready  to  be  lowered  when  the 
vessel  should  be  crushed  in  the  ice.  By 
skillful  maneuvering  we  escaped  from  the 
ice  floes  and  had  a  pleasant  day  or  two  in 
smoother  seas. 


26 


THBOUGH  MISTS  OF  THE  SEA. 

It  was  night  and  I  was  standing  by  the 
taffrail,  when  suddenly  a  giant  specter 
seemed  to  come  up  from  out  of  the  sea, 
bearing  directly  down  upon  us.  Her  great 
lantern  swung  in  a  glow  in  a  fog,  by  which 
I  discerned  moving  objects. 

*  *  Collision !  Collision ! "  I  shouted  at  the 
top  of  my  voice.  The  cry  was  taken  up  by 
the  sailors,  and  ere  it  had  died  away  there 
was  the  crashing  of  timbers,  falling  spars 
and  the  shouts  of  men. 

We  had  been  struck  a  glancing  blow 
abaft  midships  but  the  damage  was  not  ser- 
ious enough  to  sink  us.  The  other  vessel, 
which  proved  to  be  the  brig  "Rapid,"  be- 
longing to  the  same  company  at  Aberdeen, 
stood  off  until  its  crew  ascertained  the  ex- 
tent of  our  damage,  then  sailed  away  in 
the  darkness. 

A  month's  delay  on  the  docks  at  Aber- 
deen repairing  damages,  and  we  were 
again  on  the  high  seas  bound  for  the  ports 
of  South  America. 

When  off  the  West  Indies  the  sky  sud- 
denly became  overcast,  and  we  were  soon 

27 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

overtaken  by  a  hurricane.  The  captain  saw 
it  coming  and  prepared  for  it,  yet  when  it 
took  the  ship  it  roared  and  laid  her  down 
so  that  I  thought  she  would  never  get  up 
again.  All  that  day  and  night  we  had 
heavy  squalls,  and  by  morning  the  gale 
was  still  increasing.  Birds  of  sea  and  land 
came  on  board.  Driven  by  the  winds,  they 
dashed  themselves  down  upon  the  deck 
without  offering  to  stir  until  picked  up, 
and  when  let  go  they  would  not  leave  the 
ship,  but  endeavored  to  hide  from  the  wind. 
By  ten  o  'clock  at  night  the  storm  had  spent 
its  fury,  and  when  I  went  to  my  bunk  I 
found  it  full  of  water.  With  the  straining 
of  the  ship,  the  seams  had  begun  to  leak. 
I  was  surprised  to  note  among  the  ship's 
crew  that  the  most  swaggering,  swearing 
bullies  in  fine  weather  were  now  the  most 
meek  and  mild-mannered  of  men  when 
death  was  staring  them  in  the  face. 

Then  followed  days  when  the  sea  was 
smooth  as  glass.  Our  white  sails  hung  idly 
beneath  the  scorching  skies.  Sea  weed 
floated  on  the  oily  surface,  as,  day  by  day, 

28 


-c 
p 
7Q 
n 


THROUGH  MISTS  OF  THE  SEA. 

we  lay  seemingly  motionless  on  the  bosom 
of  the  deep.  The  moon  rose  out  of  a  phos- 
phorescent sea  and  cast  its  long  golden 
gleams  on  the  azure  blue,  while  the  stars 
shone  like  isles  of  light  in  the  sky.  There 
was  a  dread  in  the  infinite  spaces  about. 
Again,  there  was  scurrying,  fleecy  clouds 
and  our  ship  was  scudding  before  the 
breeze. 

When  I  awoke  one  morning,  we  were 
lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Buenos 
Ayres.  While  unloading  cargo,  the  Cap- 
tain desiring  to  go  ashore,  I  was  taken  in 
the  boat  along  with  two  of  the  seamen. 
After  getting  to  the  wharf,  the  Captain 
said:  "I  expect  you  fellows  to  employ 
your  time  cleaning  that  boat;  it  will  be 
five  o'clock  before  I  return."  After  he 
had  gone,  one  of  the  sailors  said  to  his 
mate,  "We  will  leave  Spriggings  (mean- 
ing me)  to  clean  the  boat,  and  we  will  go 
to  shore."  After  they  were  gone,  I  con- 
cluded that  I  had  been  imposed  upon  and 
I  left  the  boat  and  went  into  the  city,  hav- 
ing no  intention  of  deserting  the  vessel  at 

29 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

that  time.  In  my  wanderings  in  the  strange 
city,  and  not  knowing  a  word  of  Spanish, 
I  lost  my  way.  Finally,  when  I  returned 
to  the  wharf,  the  boat  was  gone.  It  was 
late  when  I  was  picked  up  by  a  policeman 
and  turned  over  to  an  Englishman,  who 
kindly  took  me  to  his  home  for  the  night. 
The  next  morning  I  returned  to  the  Aven 
and  received  a  reprimand. 

A  few  days  later  we  weighed  anchor  for 
Valparaiso.  The  sky  was  overcast  and  the 
sea  was  rolling  high  off  the  Patagonian 
coast,  when  we  heard  signal  guns  of  dis- 
tress. Captain  McKenzie  changed  the 
course  of  the  ship  and  we  soon  came  in 
view  of  the  Spanish  sloop  Seville  going  to 
pieces  on  the  rocks.  Her  bow  was  lifted 
high,  while  the  waves  were  breaking  over 
her  stern.  Her  sails  were  in  shreds,  and 
a  dozen  sailors  clung  to  the  rigging.  We 
lowered  the  life-boat,  and  after  hours  of 
battle  with  wind  and  wave,  rescued  the 
crew.  They  were  in  an  exhausted  and 
famished  condition,  having  been  for  almost 
three  days  without  food  or  water.  They 

30 


THROUGH  MISTS  OF  THE  SEA. 

were  given  every  kindly  attention  by  our 
officers  and  crew. 

We  saw  the  dark,  jagged,  rugged 
bluffs  and  steeps  of  Staten  and  Terra  del 
Fuego.  We  rounded  Cape  St.  John,  amid 
tempestuous  gales  and  giant  seas  of  the 
polar  regions.  We  lost  sight  of  the  land, 
reefed  the  sails  close  down  and  then  bid 
defiance  to  the  storm.  Strange  sea  birds 
shrieked  their  dismal  cries,  while  dull  lead- 
en skies  added  to  the  gloom.  We  cleared 
Cape  Horn  in  safety  and  were  soon  sailing 
over  the  smooth  seas  of  the  south  Pacific 
Ocean  beneath  the  Southern  Cross. 

"Sail  ho!"  cried  the  lookout.  All  eyes 
were  turned  to  the  leeward.  A  stately 
ship,  under  full  sail,  had  suddenly  ap- 
peared, bearing  down  upon  us.  She  came 
silently,  the  water  splitting  in  foam  at  her 
bows.  We  could  see  the  crew  working 
about  her  decks,  but  no  sound  came  from 
the  spectre.  All  at  once  we  noticed  her  hull 
and  sails  were  transparent.  We  could  see 
through  them  to  the  ocean  beyond. 

It  was  only  a  mirage  of  the  sea,  but  to 

31 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

our  crew  it  was  the  spectre  of  the  Flying 
Dutchman — a  phantom  ship  had  crossed 
our  bow. 

Once  in  port,  no  more  would  we  walk 
the  deck  of  the  Aven  of  Aberdeen.  She 
had  seen  a  ghost. 


32 


IV. 


GRAVES  GAVE  UP  THEIR  DEAD. 

I  was  in  the  streets  of  Arica,  Peru,  when 
the  earth  began  to  rock  and  reel.  Build- 
ings surged  and  fell,  with  a  crashing  noise. 
The  dust  rose  dense,  and  darkened  the 
sky.  The  earth  gaped  and  swallowed  up 
many  of  the  people  fleeing  to  the  hills  back 
of  the  town.  I  followed  to  an  elevation 
where  an  awful  sight  met  the  terror-strick- 
en populace.  The  hills  of  Arica  had  for 
centuries  been  the  burying  grounds  of  the 
ancient  Agmaras,  a  race  of  Indians  who 
ages  ago  it  seems  were  fishermen.  The 
convulsions  of  the  earth  threw  to  the  sur- 
face hundreds  of  the  dried  bodies  of  the 
Indians,  still  wrapped  in  their  coarse  gar- 
ments, the  nature  of  the  soil  had  prevented 
decay.  When  the  people  beheld  this  they 
believed  the  world  had  come  to  an  end,  and 
they  threw  themselves  on  their  faces  pray- 
ing for  mercy. 

33 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

There  was  a  thunderous  roar  from  the 
sea,  growing  louder  and  louder  as  each 
moment  of  terror  sped  on,  and  then,  with 
one  mighty  crash,  a  tidal  wave  fifty  feet 
high, — the  aftermath  of  the  earthquake- 
struck  the  shore,  bearing  upon  its  crest  the 
U.  S.  Battleship  Wateree,  one  German  and 
two  British  vessels,  leaving  them  stranded 
far  inland.  A  sailor  from  the  Wateree  was 
in  a  boat,  and  as  he  was  swept  past  his 
vessel  he  waved  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in 
farewell  to  his  comrades  on  board. 

The  shocks  had  ceased  and  the  storm 
that  followed  had  spent  its  fury,  when  the 
pall  of  night  came  over  the  stricken  city. 
Human  wolves  crept  from  their  hiding 
places  and  began  their  work  of  prowling 
amid  the  ruins  and  robbing  the  dead.  All 
night  long  they  held  high  carnival  amid 
the  scenes  of  terror  and  desolation. 

Through  it  all  I  had  been  a  silent,  be- 
wildered spectator.  I  had  fled  to  the  hills 
only  because  others  did,  for  I  could  speak 
but  little  of  the  language  of  the  country. 
I  was  among  the  graves  when  morning 

34 


GRAVES  GAVE  UP  THEIR  DEAD. 

dawned  and  I  heard  a  voice  in  my  own 
language.  Going  to  the  spot  I  found  a  man 
with  a  sprained  ankle  fighting  away  a 
thief.  I  seized  a  rock  and  he  ran.  I  aided 
the  injured  man  to  a  place  of  safety,  where 
we  remained  for  several  days  until  a  con- 
veyance took  us  back  to  town. 

The  man  whom  I  had  helped  was  John 
L.  Thorndike,  an  American,  well  known  in 
Peru  and  all  over  South  America,  as  hav- 
ing built  the  highest  standard-guage  rail- 
way in  the  world,  and  a  man  who  at  once 
became  my  warmest  friend. 

But  to  return  to  my  ship.  When  the 
Aven  of  Aberdeen  reached  Valparaiso,  the 
mate  and  a  number  of  sailors  immediately 
deserted  the  vessel  in  a  boat.  The  Captain 
saw  them  leaving  but  was  powerless  to  stop 
them.  That  night  John  Mitchell  and  I 
stood  watch  alone.  There  being  no  boat  it 
did  not  occur  to  them  that  we  would  at- 
tempt to  escape,  but  about  midnight  Mitch- 
ell said  to  me,  '  *  Spriggings,  I  dare  you  to 
run  away." 


35 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

"I'll  take  the  dare,"  I  said,  "but  how 
will  we  get  ashore  f ' ' 

"We'll  launch  one  of  the  hatches,"  he 
replied. 

It  was  no  sooner  said  than  we  tied  a  rope 
around  one  of  the  heavy  hatches,  and  bear- 
ing it  to  the  side  of  the  ship,  we  lowered  it 
noiselessly  into  the  water,  then  let  our- 
selves down  the  rope  and  by  holding  to  the 
hatch,  one  on  either  side,  we  safely  swam 
ashore. 

"We  avoided  the  business  streets  of  Val- 
paraiso and  made  our  way  to  the  country, 
where  we  hid  in  a  grove  until  night.  We 
were  without  money,  our  clothes  were  such 
as  we  wore  at  sea,  night  was  coming  on, 
we  were  hungry  and  with  no  place  to  sleep. 
Our  only  thought  had  been  to  escape  from 
the  Aven,  for  we  had  imbibed  the  supersti- 
tion of  sailors,  and  nothing  could  induce  us 
to  remain  aboard  that  vessel  since  the 
phantom  ship  had  crossed  our  bow. 

I  saw  a  light  in  a  farmhouse  in  the  dis- 
tance and  on  our  approach  the  inmates 
were  aroused  by  the  barking  of  their  dog. 

36 


GRAVES  GAVE  UP  THEIR  DEAD. 

The  man  was  a  typical  Chilean,  short  and 
stout.  He  looked  curiously  at  us  and  by 
signs  Mitchell  made  him  understand  that 
we  were  hungry.  He  entered  the  house 
and  returned  with  his  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren. Mitchell  repeated  his  signs  and  the 
woman  went  inside  and  returned  with  a 
cup  of  milk,  which  we  drank  greedily.  The 
man  then  beckoned  us  inside  where  we  had 
a  supper  of  meat,  bread  and  coffee.  They 
collected  a  number  of  sheep  skins,  gave 
us  two  mats  for  covering,  and  we  slept 
soundly. 

The  next  morning  we  helped  the  man  in 
his  garden,  drew  water  for  the  cattle  and 
made  ourselves  useful  in  other  ways.  I 
went  almost  every  day  for  two  weeks  to  the 
summit  of  the  hill  where  I  had  seen  a  splen- 
did view  of  the  bay,  to  see  if  the  Aven  was 
still  in  port.  One  day  I  saw  her  spread  her 
sails  and  I  watched  her  until  she  was  but 
a  speck  on  the  horizon. 

Our  host  by  this  time,  I  think,  knew  we 
had  run  away,  for  on  one  occasion  he  fol- 
lowed me  when  I  making  my  obersvation, 

37 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

but  if  he  suspected  anything  he  never  took 
any  steps  to  have  us  arrested,  and  in  fact 
treated  us  with  great  kindness.  When  we 
left  he  gave  us  a  large  package  of  food  and 
some  clean  stockings  and  shirts  which  his 
wife  had  made  for  us. 

It  was  nightfall  when  we  entered  Val- 
paraiso. Near  the  plaza  Victoria  we  paused 
before  an  English  boarding  house  sign.  As 
we  stood  looking,  a  middle-aged  man  came 
out  and  asked  us  our  business.  Before  we 
could  reply  he  said:  "I  bet  you  are  the 
two  boys  from  the  Aven. "  Our  frightened 
looks  told  him  we  were.  He  invited  us  in 
and  gave  us  supper. 

We  soon  learned  to  our  dismay  that  this 
man  was  the  notorious  Cockney  Spider, 
keeper  of  a  runaway  sailor's  boarding 
house.  At  night  Cockney  would  start  out 
to  some  vessel  in  the  bay  of  Valparaiso, 
everything  having  been  pre-arranged,  take 
off  those  sailors  desiring  to  runaway,  se- 
crete them  in  the  house  and  when  oppor- 
tunity offered,  ship  them  again.  The 
amount  of  bounty  paid  by  ships  short  of 

38 


GRAVES  GAVE  UP  THEIR  DEAD. 

men  was  often  large,  and  as  Cockney  al- 
ways arranged  to  have  poor  runaways  deep 
in  debt  for  board  and  lodging,  the  sailor  on 
being  re-shipped  was  worse  off,  and  Cock- 
ney the  gainer.  He  often  took  desperate 
chances  in  stealing  sailors,  as  the  coast 
guard  and  other  officials  were  sharp.  Many 
in  that  traffic  were  captured,  but  Cockney 
always  escaped. 

After  we  spent  the  night  in  his  home  he 
asked  me  if  I  could  write.  Replying  in 
the  affirmative,  I  was  installed  as  chief 
book-keeper  of  the  notorious  runaway  sail- 
or boarding  house.  My  duties  were  to  reg- 
ister the  sailors  brought  to  the  house,  keep 
a  record  of  their  meals,  charge  so  much  a 
night  for  lodging,  and  present  their  bill 
when  they  were  ready  to  leave.  I  held  the 
position  for  two  weeks,  when  one  night 
Cockney  came  home  intoxicated  and  told 
me  that  he  had  shipped  Mitchell  that  night 
on  a  French  bark.  A  sailor  gave  me  a  sly 
wink  and  whispered,  * '  Your  turn  will  come 
next,  he  intends  to  ship  you  on  a  whaler. ' ' 
My  experience  with  the  ice  on  the  "Aven 

39 


had  given  me  a  horror  of  frozen  seas,  and 
that  night  I  stole  away  from  the  boarding 
house. 

I  was  in  dread  of  Cockney  Spider,  and, 
in  my  determination  to  escape,  I  became 
a  stowaway  on  a  coast  steamer  and  landed 
at  Arica,  with  a  few  dollars  in  my  pocket, 
paid  to  me  by  Spider. 

When  I  arrived  at  Mollendo  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  John  L.  Thorndike,  he  in- 
troduced me  to  Mr.  Hill,  his  general  man- 
ager, as  his  "boy  protector"  and  told  him 
to  give  me  employment  and  see  that  I  was 
well  provided  for. 

In  a  short  while  I  was  in  the  railway 
shops,  learning  the  trade  of  machinist,  and 
later  I  was  engineer  on  the  railroad  run- 
ning from  the  sea  port  of  Mollendo  to 
Arequipa,  more  than  one  hundred  miles  in 
the  interior.  The  city  is  situated  in  a  beau- 
tiful and  fertile  valley  in  the  heart  of  the 
Andes.  The  majestic  volcanic  mountain 
Misti  some  miles  away  rises  nearly  four 
miles  above  the  sea  and  smoke  still  issues 
from  its  crater. 


40 


GRAVES  GAVE  UP  THEIR  DEAD. 

I  had  lately  been  transferred  from  the 
shops  in  Mollendo  to  Arequipa,  when,  hear- 
ing fabulous  stories  of  rich  gold  finds  in 
the  Andes,  and  being  imbued  with  an  ad- 
venturous spirit,  I  resolved  to  try  my  for- 
tune in  the  new  El  Dorado. 


41 


V. 

FAIREST   FLOWER   OF   THE   CORDILLERAS. 

I  was  in  the  heart  of  the  Cordilleras, 
weary,  footsore  and  alone.  I  was  descend- 
ing a  rocky  cliff  a  few  hundred  feet  from  a 
plateau,  while  the  thunders  roared  with 
terrific  crash.  The  rain  fell  in  sheets, 
plunging  in  wild  fury  in  cataracts  down  the 
mountain  side.  There  was  desolation  and 
terror  unutterable.  I  leaned  close  to  a 
shelving  rock,  and  as  I  thought  of  once 
happy  days  in  Aberdeen,  of  the  love  be- 
stowed upon  me  by  my  dear  mother — gone 
forever  from  this  world — my  own  condi- 
tion, now  a  homeless  wanderer  in  a  foreign 
land,  perhaps  to  soon  meet  death  and  my 
body  be  devoured  by  condors,  I  laid  my 
head  on  my  arms  and  wept  bitterly. 

I  am  not  superstitious,  neither  do  I  be- 
lieve that  my  condition  at  that  time  caused 
my  mind  to  wander ;  a  peaceful  calm  came 

42 


FAIREST   FLO  WEE   OF   THE   CORDILLERAS. 

over  me;  it  seemed  as  if  some  loving  one 
was  near,  fear  vanished,  and  I  looked  up 
but  beheld  nothing.  The  storm  raged  with 
even  greater  fury.  I  walked  and  even  be- 
gan to  sing  the  « '  Garb  of  Old  Gaul. "  I  ig- 
nored the  elements  in  their  war  and  had 
almost  reached  the  plateau  when  the  storm 
ceased  and  the  sun  suddenly  appeared. 
Calm  and  warmth  came  from  what  a  few 
minutes  before  had  seemed  death  and  de- 
struction. 

A  sudden  turn  in  the  trail  and  I  beheld 
a  child  seated  beneath  the  thick,  spreading 
branches  of  a  tree,  her  white  apron  filled 
with  alpine  flowers.  "How  came  she 
here,"  I  wondered.  Her  dark  bright  eyes 
gazed  questioningly  into  mine,  eyes 
through  which  one  could  see  the  childish 
spirit  and  feel  the  witchery  of  her  magic 
look;  her  raven  locks  fell  in  clusters  over 
her  fair  temples  and  ended  in  ringlets 
about  her  shoulders;  on  her  cheeks  were 
the  glowing  tints  of  youth  and  health.  As 
I  spoke  she  rose  and  handed  me  a  flower  of 
delicate  tint.  I  gallantly  pinned  it  on  the 

43 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

lapel  of  my  coat,  which  won  from  her  a 
pleasing  look  and  smile.  I  could  speak  a 
little  Spanish  and  she  seemed  to  under- 
stand that  I  was  going  her  way.  Together 
we  walked  along  the  trail.  Her  childish 
grace  appealed  to  me.  A  spirit  of  infinite 
goodness  seemed  to  radiate  from  within 
and  stirred  my  noblest  impulses.  A  feel- 
ing of  content  settled  upon  me. 

Near  by,  I  saw  some  Indian  huts  and  the 
tambo  or  tavern  where  Frank  Dunn  and  I 
had  stopped  on  our  way  to  Puno.  The 
child  ran  ahead,  leaving  me  to  follow. 


The  first  sight  of  Puno  had  satisfied  me 
that  we  had  come  to  the  most  desolate 
spot  in  the  world,  Nature's  remains  seemed 
to  have  been  brought  there  and  left  with- 
out burial.  The  ground  was  thickly  cov- 
ered with  a  short,  wild  grass  and  appeared 
to  be  the  natural  dwelling  place  of  the 
alpacas  and  wild  vicunas. 

I  had  been  in  Puno  but  a  few  days  when 
I  was  offered  work  on  board  one  of  the 


44 


FAIKEST   FLO  WEE   OF   THE   CORDILLERAS. 

steamers,  but  I  longed  again  for  Arequipa 
and  friends.  Dunn  had  secured  work  on 
one  of  the  steamers  and  refused  to  return. 
I  thought  this  was  hard,  as  it  was  my 
money  that  had  helped  him  from  the  time 
he  left  Arequipa  until  he  secured  employ- 
ment. My  money  was  almost  gone,  but  I 
had  gone  to  the  Amaras  market  and  bought 
what  edibles  I  needed,  and  without  hesita- 
tion had  started  alone  to  return  to  Are- 
quipa, over  those  fearful  heights  and 
dread  solitudes  of  the  Cordilleras,  when  I 
found  her. 

When  we  were  entering  the  tambo  an 
elderly  gentleman  and  the  Indian  host 
were  speaking  in  Spanish,  and  even  from 
my  limited  knowledge  of  the  language  I 
knew  they  were  talking  about  me. 

No  doubt  but  my  appearance  in  the  heart 
of  the  Cordilleras  wet,  forlorn  looking  and 
alone  aroused  his  sympathy.  After  a  diffi- 
cult attempt  at  opening  a  conversation,  the 
beautiful  child  I  had  met  looking  on  all 
the  time,  I  was  given  to  understand  that 
he  desired  me  to  eat  with  them.  Of  course 


45 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

I  consented,  but  I  did  not  do  justice  to  the 
meal  as  the  dark  eyes  of  the  young  girl 
were  constantly  upon  me. 

The  gentleman  gave  me  his  name,  Julian 
Maldonado,  and  that  of  his  daughter,  Feli- 
cita  Maldonado.  He  was  a  well-to-do  mer- 
chant of  elderly  years.  I  learned  that  his 
wife  was  dead  and  that  their  home  was  in 
Lima.  The  servants  made  me  a  bed  in  the 
room  adjacent  to  my  host.  The  next  morn- 
ing I  was  aroused  by  one  of  them  who  said 
his  master  wanted  to  see  me.  I  went  to 
him  and  after  telling  him  I  was  on  my  way 
to  Arequipa,  and  when  there  I  would  be 
among  my  friends,  he  offered  to  purchase 
a  mule  for  me,  but  the  only  one  to  be  had 
was  lame.  However,  I  told  him  I  was 
young  and  would  soon  reach  my  destina- 
tion. Felicita  then  came  in  and  announced 
breakfast,  after  which  the  mules  were 
packed  and,  everything  being  in  readiness, 
we  bade  each  other  good-bye.  Felicita 
came  toward  me,  and  as  she  extended  her 
hand  in  her  childish  fashion,  she  placed  in 

46 


FAIREST   FLOWER   OF   THE   CORDILLERAS. 

my   own   a   Peruvian  twenty-dollar   gold 
piece,  saying :    * '  Adios  mi  amigo. ' ' 

I  was  almost  speechless.  I  started  for- 
ward to  return  the  money,  but  I  had  to 
retain  it,  as  they  quickly  mounted  and 
were  gone  before  I  could  master  my  feel- 
ings. 

Roll  on,  relentless  Time.  Felicita,  fairest 
flower  of  the  Cordilleras,  we  shall  meet 
again, when  love's  young  dream  shall  awak- 
en amid  the  clash  of  arms  and  tragedies! 

Nine  days  later  I  arrived  in  Arequipa, 
sick,  footsore  and  weary.  My  friends  had 
sent  out  searching  parties  believing  that  I 
had  been  murdered.  Their  astonishment 
was  great  when  they  found  where  I  had 
been  and  that  I  had  spent  many  nights 
alone  amid  the  dangers  of  the  mountains. 
Many  were  the  admonitions  I  received  from 
older  heads. 

I  laughed  at  their  words,  and  when  I 
thought  of  the  beautiful  Felicita,  I  dreamed 
of  love  and  felt  an  indescribable  content 
with  my  surroundings  and  all  the  world. 


47 


VI. 

A  HUMILIATING  INCIDENT. 

There  was  a  night  riot  in  the  streets  of 
Ho,  knives  gleamed  in  ruffian  hands,  curses 
and  blasphemy  fell  from  sodden  lips.  Shots 
were  fired  in  the  thick  of  the  struggling 
mass,  as  the  mob  crowded  in  frenzy  about 
some  central  figure.  The  crowd  from  be- 
hind pressed  forward  and  Thompson  and 
I  were  carried  along  by  the  crush  of  hu- 
manity, until  of  necessity  we  began  to  fight 
our  way  out.  We  had  partially  succeeded, 
when  we  were  surrounded  by  soldiers.  At 
sight  of  the  soldiers  the  crowd  began  to 
disperse,  but  unfortunately  for  us  it  was 
too  late,  besides  we  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  riot,  and  thought  we  had  nothing  to 
fear. 

The  officer  stepped  up  and  placed 
Thompson  and  I  under  arrest.  We  were 
searched,  but  no  arms  were  found  on  us. 

48 


A  HUMILIATING  INCIDENT. 

However,  we  were  marched  away  to  jail 
and  our  feet  placed  in  iron  bars,  fastened 
with  a  heavy  lock,  which  compelled  us  to  lie 
on  our  backs. 

The  next  morning  an  officer  appeared 
and  I  notified  him  that  I  was  a  British  sub- 
ject, and  resented  such  treatment.  He  told 
me  that  I  was  held  for  attempted  mur- 
der. Thompson  was  also  under  the  same 
charge.  An  Italian  had  been  shot  and 
would  probably  die.  I  demanded  an  im- 
mediate trial.  Several  officers  of  the  rail- 
way came  and  endeavored  to  set  us  free, 
but  their  efforts  were  of  no  avail.  There 
was  no  British  consul  nearer  than  Arica, 
about  two  days  travel  by  steamer,  and  no 
means  for  communicating  with  him  until 
the  steamer  arrived  from  the  north. 

Our  prison  was  an  old  wooden  structure, 
and  only  one  guard  was  over  us.  The  offi- 
cer and  his  men  had  quarters  some  dis- 
tance away.  It  was  our  intention  to  ask 
the  soldier  on  guard  for  a  drink  of  water 
about  midnight,  when  Thompson  would 
overpower  him  and  take  his  keys.  A  small 

49 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

boat  was  to  be  in  readiness  at  a  certain 
place.  Our  plan  was,  after  obtaining  the 
keys,  to  put  the  soldier  in  the  stocks  and 
walk  out,  all  of  which  could  easily  have 
been  accomplished,  as  the  soldier  was  but 
a  small  ignorant  half-breed  Indian.  It  was 
Sunday  night  and  we  had  decided  to  put 
our  plan  in  operation,  when — imagine  our 
surprise — an  officer  informed  us  to  get 
ready  to  take  the  train  for  Moquequa. 

We  were  accompanied  by  an  officer  and 
six  men.  I  asked  the  officer  what  the  re- 
moval was  for,  and  he  said  our  trial  was  to 
be  held  and  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  be 
present.  I  asked  permission  to  speak  with 
the  engineer,  which  was  given.  I  told  him 
I  dreaded  being  taken  into  the  interior,  as 
we  would  be  away  from  our  friends,  and 
begged  him  when  we  came  to  a  certain 
grade  along  the  line  to  increase  the  speed 
and  I  would  jump  off.  I  was  familiar  with 
that  part  of  the  country,  knew  I  could  se- 
cure a  horse  and  go  to  Mollendo  or  Are- 
quipa.  I  knew  also  that  the  officer  and  his 
men  had  never  been  on  a  train,  and  it  would 


50 


A  HUMILIATING  INCIDENT. 

be   impossible    for    them   to    give    chase. 

But  we  were  again  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. The  engineer  feared  to  carry 
out  the  plan  and  instead  of  increasing 
speed,  went  slower  than  usual. 

On  our  arrival  at  Moquequa  we  were 
marched  through  the  streets,  to  my  great 
humiliation,  as  I  knew  many  people  in  the 
town.  Numbers  of  them  came  and  offered 
their  sympathy.  To  our  great  indignation 
we  were  thrown  into  a  cell  with  six  other 
prisoners  convicted  of  murder,  and  a  more 
ugly,  villainous  and  desperate-looking  lot 
of  characters  would  have  been  hard  to  find 
anywhere.  No  attention  had  been  paid  to 
my  remonstrance,  when  an  hour  later  a 
gentleman,  whom  I  had  favored,  presented 
himself.  After  I  told  him  the  circum- 
stances of  our  detention  he  said  he  would 
send  a  lawyer  to  defend  us.  In  the  mean- 
time he  arranged  with  a  hotel  keeper  to 
send  us  regular  meals,  also  mattresses  and 
blankets. 

The  day  following  I  had  many  visitors, 
some  drawn  by  curiosity  and  others  by 

51 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

sympathy  and  good  will.  The  latter  were 
profuse  in  their  attentions.  When  a  law- 
yer appeared,  I  related  to  him  the  details 
of  our  arrest.  I  did  the  talking,  as  Thomp- 
son could  not  speak  the  language,  while  I 
was  becoming  quite  proficient  in  it.  Upon 
leaving,  the  lawyer  promised  to  have  us 
free  in  eight  days  at  most. 

I  passed  away  the  dreary  time  pacing 
that  prison  cell.  It  was  about  twenty  feet 
long  and  twelve  feet  wide,  and  contained 
nothing  but  stone  walls  and  floor,  with  a 
heavy  iron-grated  window  which  looked 
out  on  the  plaza.  A  bottle  of  wine  came 
with  each  meal,  instead  of  coffee,  and  I 
shared  it  with  the  criminals  in  our  cell.  In 
this  way  I  soon  won  their  good  will,  and  as 
they  had  all  been  convicted  of  murder,  they 
did  not  hesitate  to  tell  me  of  their  horrible 
crimes. 

There  is  no  capital  punishment  in  Peru. 
Sentence  for  life,  in  that  country,  means 
about  fifteen  years,  and  seldom  do  they 
serve  that  length  of  time.  Usually  a  revo- 
lution releases  them.  At  such  times  insur- 


52 


A  HUMILIATING  INCIDENT. 

gents  invariably  break  open  the  prisons 
and  liberate  the  convicts,  which  happened 
to  these  prisoners  a  few  months  later.  We 
were  visited  daily  by  my  lawyer  and  final- 
ly were  told  that  four  hundred  dollars 
would  be  required  for  our  liberation. 

"  Liberate  us  and  I  will  give  you  the 
money, ' '  was  my  answer. 

Next  day  I  bid  adieu  to  my  undesirable 
residence  and  companions ;  Thompson  had 
no  money  and  I  paid  all.  After  purchasing 
new  clothes  and  receiving  the  congratula- 
tions of  friends,  we  boarded  the  train  for 
Ilo.  Mr.  Hill  returned  from  Lima  that 
day  and  after  learning  of  the  indignities  in- 
flicted upon  me,  told  his  officials  that  they 
should  have  notified  the  British  consul  and 
compelled  the  Peruvian  authorities  to  pay, 
instead  of  taking  my  money. 

I  returned  to  work  in  the  shops,  and 
three  weeks  afterward  one  of  the  office 
clerks  came  in  breathless  and  told  me  I 
was  to  be  arrested  again  along  with  Thomp- 
son. The  papers  would  be  down  from 


53 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

Moquequa  tha,t  night  and  tomorrow  morn- 
ing they  would  come  for  us. 

I  was  furious  when  I  realized  that  we 
were  again  facing  punishment  for  a  crime 
of  which  we  were  innocent  and  I  deter- 
mined to  resist  arrest,  and  leave  Ilo. 

I  went  to  the  office  of  the  secretary  of 
the  railroad,  and  after  a  long  consultation, 
it  was  agreed  to  have  three  of  Mr.  Hill's 
best  horses  in  readiness  at  midnight.  One 
of  the  hostlers  was  to  accompany  us  and 
when  we  reached  Tambo,  Thompson  and 
I  would  take  the  train  for  Arequipa. 

I  went  to  my  room,  packed  my  clothes, 
carefully  loaded  two  revolvers  and  placed 
my  trunk  and  other  articles  of  value  in 
the  hands  of  my  friends,  with  orders  to 
send  them  to  Arequipa  after  the  sensation 
of  my  escape  was  over.  After  supper,  to 
allay  any  suspicion  the  authorities  might 
have,  I  strolled  along  the  wharf,  went  into 
a  billiard  hall  and  actually  played  a  game 
of  billiards  with  the  captain  of  the  guard, 
who  I  have  no  doubt  had  the  order  to  ar- 
rest me  in  his  pocket.  Thompson  had  gone 

54 


A  HUMILIATING  INCIDENT. 

to  his  room.  I  followed  thirty  minutes  lat- 
er, and  at  precisely  twelve  o  'clock,  I  sallied 
out  of  the  house  by  the  rear,  and  met 
Thompson  at  the  agreed  place  on  the  beach. 
The  night  was  dark,  and  everything  be- 
ing in  readiness,  we  mounted  and  rode 
through  the  town  dressed  like  natives.  We 
soon  gained  the  highway  leading  to  Tambo 
and  after  being  well  clear  of  Ilo,  we  put 
our  horses  to  their  best.  We  rode  the  fifty- 
five  miles  to  Tambo,  over  a  rugged  and 
mountainous  country  and  caught  the  train 
for  Arequipa,  arriving  that  night  after  an 
absence  for  me  of  two  years. 


55 


VII. 

IN   THE  THROES  OF   REVOLUTION. 

The  railroad  had  now  been  extended 
from  Arequipa  to  Puno.  A  revolution  had 
broken  out  and  insurgents  were  cutting  the 
telegraph  wires. 

I  was  engineer  on  a  combination  locomo- 
tive and  coach  and  as  this  locomotive  will 
be  in  the  scene  of  more  than  one  tragedy, 
I  will  describe  it.  It  was  specially  designed 
for  the  president  and  officers  of  the  road, 
weighing  only  eight  tons.  On  the  same 
frame  with  the  engine,  in  fact,  a  part  of  it, 
was  built  a  beautiful  black  walnut  coach, 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  from  twelve  to 
eighteen  persons.  It  had  two  side  doors 
and  one  in  front,  which,  when  opened,  com- 
municated with  the  engineer.  There  were 
windows  hung  with  beautiful  damask  cur- 
tains, the  carpets  were  of  rich  velvet, 
and  a  center  table  and  several  cupboards 
under  the  seats  completed  the  furnishings. 

56 


IN  THE  THROES  OF  REVOLUTION. 

It  was  in  reality  a  palace  on  wheels,  named 
The  Arequipena,  meaning  a  native  of  Are- 
quipa.  I  mention  the  design  of  the  combi- 
nation engine-car  for  the  reason  that,  on  a 
duplicate  of  The  Arequipena,  later  oc- 
curred one  of  the  most  perilous  and  tragic 
events  of  my  life. 

The  stretch  of  road  from  Julica  to  Caba- 
nillas  was  level  and  straight,  except  about 
two  miles  from  Cabanillas  station,  where  a 
heavy  side  cut  and  sharp  curve  was  the 
only  obstruction  to  the  view  for  miles.  I 
was  going  at  the  rate  of  forty  miles  an 
hour,  when,  on  nearing  this  curve,  I  beheld 
a  large  Rogers  locomotive  with  a  train  of 
coaches  coming  toward  me.  I  cannot  de- 
scribe the  thoughts  that  went  through  my 
brain — there  was  a  terrific  crash — flying 
debris — a  hissing  of  steam — mingled  with 
the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying. 

I  was  thrown  out  of  the  way  of  the 
wreck  and  near  the  edge  of  a  river,  and 
when  I  regained  my  senses  a  priest  was 
bending  over  me,  bathing  my  forehead.  I 
gradually  realized  what  had  happened'and 

57 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

went  to  my  engine.  There  was  scarcely  a 
vestige  left  of  The  Little  Arequipena,  only 
a  piece  of  the  boiler  and  two  pairs  of  driv- 
ing wheels.  The  shock  was  so  great  that 
the  little  coach  was  hurled  over  the  other 
engine,  which  was  not  damaged  much. 

I  saw  several  persons  bending  over  some 
one,  and,  on  going  closer,  found  William 
Cuthbert,  our  traveling  engineer,  stretch- 
ed on  the  ground  dying.  Five  soldiers 
were  dead  beneath  the  ruins.  One  officer, 
with  his  legs  broken  in  two  places,  begged 
that  others  be  cared  for  first.  The  road- 
master  was  in  agony,  his  lower  limbs 
frightfully  burned  by  escaping  steam;  all 
the  others  were  more  or  less  seriously  in- 
jured, except  myself.  When  relief  came 
our  dead  and  wounded  were  taken  to  Are- 
quipa. 

We  had  been  sent  out  to  repair  the  wires, 
and  orders  had  come  to  me  that  we  should 
be  given  the  right  of  way.  The  engineer 
who  collided  with  me  told  me  that  the  com- 
mander of  the  government  forces  had  or- 
dered our  superintendent  to  furnish  trans- 

58 


IN  THE  THROES  OF  BEVOLUTION. 

portation  for  his  troops  to  Puno  at  once, 
and  when  informed  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  send  a  train  until  we  were  heard 
from,  he  threatened  to  place  the  superin- 
tendent in  jail  unless  his  orders  were  com- 
plied with.  No  one  on  the  other  train  was 
hurt.  They  had  six  coaches  full  of  sol- 
diers, the  priest  who  assisted  me  being 
among  them. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  at  Arequipa 
the  funeral  of  William  Cuthbert  took  place. 
The  procession  was  the  largest  that  I  had 
ever  witnessed  at  any  funeral  in  Arequipa, 
natives  as  well  as  foreigners  taking  part. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  I  recovered 
from  the  shock,  not  alone  of  the  collision, 
but  the  death  of  William  Cuthbert  who  al- 
ways had  been  ready  to  befriend  me  and 
who  had  given  me  much  valuable  informa- 
tion. He  lies  buried  in  the  cemetery  at 
Arequipa,  in  a  vault.  A  marble  slab  was 
erected  to  his  memory. 

The  general  manager  sent  for  me  one 
day  to  come  to  his  office  in  Arequipa,  and 
after  talking  over  the  cause  of  the  collision, 

59 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

I  told  him  that  I  considered  him  to  blame 
for  allowing  any  engine  and  train  to  go 
out  without  knowing  first  where  we  were, 
and  that  it  would  have  been  better  to  have 
gone  to  prison,  that  if  he  had  been  sent 
there  the  American  government  would 
have  demanded  his  freedom,  and  he  would 
have  been  honored.  As  it  stood,  he  was 
to  a  certain  extent  responsible  for  that 
dreadful  affair.  After  some  more  words  I 
left  the  office,  realizing  that  I  had  in- 
curred the  displeasure  of  the  head  officer. 
I  concluded  to  leave,  which  I  was  sorry  to 
do,  as  I  looked  upon  Arequipa  as  my  only 
home. 

I  visited  Valparaiso  and  again  met  Cock- 
ney Spider.  He  was  still  at  his  old  busi- 
ness, conducting  a  runaway  sailors'  board- 
ing house.  A  few  weeks  later  found  me  in 
Panama,  an  engineer  on  the  Panama  and 
Aspinwall  railroad.  The  climate,  I  be- 
lieve, is  the  most  wretched  in  the  world, 
and  tropical  vegetation  grows  the  rankest. 
In  a  few  months  I  was  stricken  with  the 
yellow  fever,  but  thanks  to  my  robust  con- 

60 


IN  THE  THROES  OF  REVOLUTION. 

stitution  I  soon  recovered.  About  this 
time  I  met  an  official  of  the  government 
railway  at  Ilo,  who  desired  me  to  return 
and  accept  a  position  as  engineer  on  the 
road.  I  told  him  of  my  troubles  in  that 
town  with  the  officials.  He  met  me  soon 
afterwards,  with  a  contract  duly  drawn  up 
for  eighteen  months '  service  and  a  guaran- 
tee that  I  should  not  be  molested  by  any 
petty  official. 

When  I  arrived  at  Ilo,  imagine  my  sur- 
prise to  find  that  the  man  who  rowed  me 
ashore  was  the  Italian  who  caused  my  ar- 
rest. He  offered  to  shake  hands  but  I  re- 
fused. When  I  went  to  the  hotel  many  of 
my  old  native  friends  came  to  see  me,  and 
informed  me  that  after  I  had  left  they  dis- 
covered the  person  who  did  the  shooting. 
It  was  done  by  one  of  their  own  number, 
who  managed  to  get  away. 

It  was  very  gratifying  to  thus  have  my 
innocence  established,  but  it  did  not  recom- 
pense for  the  time  I  had  spent  in  jail  and 
the  loss  of  money. 

I  had  been  running  a  train  out  of  Ilo 

61 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

about  a  month,  when  one  night  I  was  in- 
vited to  a  "wake."  Having  never  attend- 
ed one,  I  accepted  the  invitation.  At  one 
end  of  the  room  stood  a  large  table,  and 
upon  it  the  body  of  a  child  two  years  old. 
On  its  head  was  a  wreath  of  flowers.  The 
child  was  dressed  in  white;  in  its  tiny 
hands  was  a  bouquet  of  flowers;  the  feet 
were  encased  in  small  white  slippers ;  light- 
ed candles  surrounded  the  body.  At  either 
end  of  the  table  were  several  old  women, 
who  were  employed  by  the  family  as 
mourners,  and  they  kept  up  a  continual 
low  moaning  sound.  Occasionally  they 
would  stop  to  partake  of  wine,  and  start 
again,  more  dismal  than  ever.  The  room 
was  large  and  on  each  side  were  seated  la- 
dies and  gentlemen  talking  and  laughing 
and  seemingly  enjoying  themselves.  The 
parents  of  the  dead  child  appeared  to  have 
surpassed  the  expectations  of  their  friends 
and  made  a  great  success  of  the  "wake." 

There  is  a  custom  in  Peru  that  when  sev- 
eral persons  are  gathered  together  there 
is  constant  drinking.  A  large  bottle  of 

62 


IN  THE  THROES  OF  REVOLUTION. 

wine  or  whiskey  is  placed  on  the  table 
with  one  glass.  A  lady  or  gentleman  will 
fill  the  glass  and  drink  to  the  health  of 
some  one  present.  It  is  bad  form  to  leave 
any  liquor  in  the  glass,  so  it  is  always 
drained,  refilled  and  presented  to  the  one 
whose  health  has  been  drunk.  It  is  an  in- 
sult to  refuse  to  drink,  after  one  has  drank 
to  your  health  and  the  person  accepting  the 
glass  drinks  to  the  health  of  some  one  else. 
In  this  manner  the  glass  is  constantly  on 
the  move.  On  this  occasion,  the  wine  was 
on  the  table  with  the  corpse. 

About  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  not 
seeing  any  disposition  on  the  part  of  the 
guests  to  retire,  I  bade  our  friends  good 
night. 

I  had  barely  reached  the  street  when  I 
heard  firing  and  saw  people  running.  Sud- 
denly there  came  a  volley  of  musketry,  and 
a  woman  dropped  dead  a  few  feet  in  front 
of  me.  Almost  immediately  the  streets 
were  deserted,  but  I  could  hear  the  cries 
of  "  Vivia  Pierola,"  and  I  knew  another 
revolution  had  broken  out. 


63 


VIII. 

VIVA    GENEKALISSIMO    PIEROLA. 

I  did  not  do  anything  for  the  woman. 
Shot  through  the  heart,  she  was  past  all 
aid.  I  made  a  dash  into  a  by-street,  in- 
tending to  reach  the  station,  get  my  en- 
gine ready  and  go  to  Ilo  to  prevent  the 
insurgents  from  using  the  road  to  trans- 
port their  troops.  But  I  ran  into  an  offi- 
cer's arms  before  I  had  gone  a  block.  He 
had  been  looking  for  me  all  night,  and  told 
me  I  was  his  prisoner.  I  was  to  be  taken 
before  Senor  Pierola.  Meantime  I  was  to 
be  treated  with  every  consideration,  the 
officer  paying  for  breakfast  and  cigars, 
and  insisting  on  my  drinking  some  ale 
which  he  had  taken  as  a  contraband  of 
war. 

It  was  some  time  before  we  could  get 
near  the  great  leader  of  the  revolution, 
the  approaches  to  his  house  being  crowded 
with  people.  Ladies  were  prominent 

64 


VIVA  GENERALISSIMO  PIEEOLA. 

among  the  crowd,  carrying  flowers  and 
declaring  their  deliverer  had  come  to  make 
Peru  the  geratest  nation  on  the  Pacific. 

After  the  officer  presented  me  Peirola 
asked  me  if  I  spoke  Spanish.  Upon  being 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  asked  my 
name,  nationality  and  how  long  I  had  been 
employed  by  the  Peruvian  government ;  all 
of  which  being  answered  to  his  satisfac- 
tion, he  asked  me  if  I  would  work  for  him, 
and  if  I  would,  in  the  event  of  his  being 
victorious,  I  should  be  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  the  Ilo  and  Moquequa  railways. 
He  only  wanted  me  to  convey  troops  down 
the  valley,  take  up  some  of  the  rails  to  pre- 
vent the  government  troops  from  using  the 
line,  and  then  before  he  retreated  to  an- 
other position  which  he  would  fortify,  to 
dismantle  the  engine  and  hide  the  parts,  so 
that  in  case  the  government  troops  should 
come  to  Moquequa  the  engine  would  be  of 
no  service  to  them. 

I  replied  that  I  was  a  British  subject, 
and  that  if  I  were  to  do  what  he  requested 
of  me,  and  should  be  taken  prisoner  by  the 

65 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

government,  and  the  fact  became  known 
that  I  had  taken  part,  I  would  be  unable 
to  claim  the  protection  of  my  government. 
He  agreed  that  that  was  true,  but  he  would 
insure  against  that  by  sending  a  few  troops 
with  me,  and  it  would  look  as  if  force  was 
compelling  me  to  do  what,  which  without 
force  I  would  not  have  done. 

I  finally  agreed,  and  after  giving  my 
word  that  I  would  not  attempt  to  escape, 
received  orders  to  take  the  engine,  as  a 
squad  of  soldiers  would  accompany  me, 
and  at  a  certain  place  along  the  line  which 
they  would  designate,  the  rails  would  be 
torn  up.  We  started  that  afternoon. 

We  carried  two  flat  cars  to  load  the  rails 
on.  About  forty  miles  from  Moquequa  we 
discovered  another  train  coming  toward 
us,  but  upon  our  nearer  approach  they 
backed  off  rapidly.  It  was  a  party  of  gov- 
ernment troops  sent  out  to  ascertain 
whether  the  road  was  clear  in  order  to 
bring  up  their  main  body.  Our  company 
then  took  up  rails  and  made  the  road  dan- 
gerous in  ten  different  places.  We  blew 

66 


VIVA  GENERALISSIMO  PIEBOLA. 

up  a  small  wooden  bridge  with  giant  pow- 
der. 

The  officer  in  charge  made  frequent  stops 
in  the  valley  and  levied  a  tribute  of  money 
on  all  the  wine  merchants  he  could  find. 
They  usually  gave,  as  they  knew  too  well 
the  consequence  of  refusing.  Those  who 
hid  away  found,  on  their  return,  their  wine 
presses  and  vaults  in  ruins. 

On  our  return  to  Moquequa,  I  was  or- 
dered to  disable  the  engine,  which  I  did  by 
taking  off  both  valve  stems  and  driving 
rods.  The  officer  hid  them  and  that  was 
the  last  I  ever  saw  of  them.  We  attended 
a  dance  which  lasted  all  night,  and  drank 
much  wine  in  anticipation  of  the  success 
of  the  revolution.  It  was  a  gala  night. 
There  was  dancing  and  music  in  nearly  all 
the  houses. 

In  the  early  morning  bugles,  drums  and 
other  instruments  began  making  a  hideous 
noise,  officers  were  commanding  men  to 
form  ranks,  horses,  mules  and  donkeys 
were  running  hither  and  thither,  and  dogs 
were  barking.  Here  and  there  were 

67 


WHEEE  STKONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

groups  of  men  learning  to  load  their  rifles, 
others  endeavoring  to  parry  and  thrust 
with  cutlasses  and  making  fierce  swings  at 
an  imaginary  government  soldier.  Louder 
and  hoarser  came  the  call  of  the  officers, 
but  their  commands  were  lost  on  the  mot- 
ley crowd.  After  several  hours  the  offi- 
cers succeeded  in  getting  the  men  into  some 
kind  of  marching  order. 

I  turned  to  a  store  to  buy  some  cigars, 
when  I  heard  someone  calling,  and  turning 
I  beheld  three  of  my  fellow  prisoners  that 
a  few  months  before  were  in  jail  convicted 
of  murder.  One  straightened  out  his  hand 
to  me,  but  I  did  not  take  it.  I  asked  them 
how  they  escaped ;  it  was  the  old  story.  The 
insurgents  needed  recruits  and  they  were 
liberated  on  condition  that  they  fight  for 
Pierola. 

Such  was  Peru,  and  such  it  is  today.  In- 
stead of  the  people  supporting  the  govern- 
ment, the  government  supports  the  people, 
and  when  all  its  favors  become  exhausted, 
then  some  one  arises  and  proclaims  himself 
president,  organizes  a  band  of  thieves  and 

68 


VIVA  GENERALISSIMO  PIEROLA. 

murderers,  and  endeavors  to  gain  control. 

There  have  been  exceptions,  when  an  in- 
dignant people,  who  have  been  trodden  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  seems  a  revolution 
is  the  only  means  of  righting  their  wrongs ; 
but  nine  out  of  ten  are  the  work  of  an  am- 
bitious man  who  wants  to  become  ruler. 

I  asked  the  ex-convicts  where  the  other 
three  were  who  had  been  confined  with 
them.  Two  had  died  and  the  other  was 
with  the  troops.  They  begged  for  money 
and  I  gave  them  a  dollar  each,  and  after 
profusely  thanking  me  they  left  to  follow 
the  rear  guard  of  Pierola 's  scoundrels. 

After  purchasing  my  cigars,  I  followed 
the  main  body  of  troops  with  my  escort  of 
twenty  soldiers,  to  keep  guard  over  me,  as 
arranged  with  General  Pierola.  Our  des- 
tination was  Torato,  thirty  miles  from  Mo- 
quequa.  The  road  led  over  passes  and 
wound  around  mountain  sides,  and  from 
several  points  of  vantage  I  could  see  the 
army  on  the  march,  with  General  Pierola 
and  a  priest  by  his  side  in  the  lead.  The 
priest  was  there  to  inspire  courage  in  those 

69 


who  might  waver.  The  army  numbered  six 
hundred  infantry  and  two  hundred  cavalry. 
Many  of  whom  did  not  know  the  duties  of 
a  soldier. 

On  arriving  at  Torato,  I  secured  quar- 
ters for  myself  and  escort  at  the  expense 
of  the  insurgent  general.  A  month  passed 
in  wine  drinking  and  dancing.  There 
were  gay  festivities  every  night,  lasting 
sometimes  until  late  the  next  morning,  the 
officers  seldom  seeing  their  men.  Instead 
of  drilling  them,  they  spent  their  time  tell- 
ing how  they  were  going  to  annihilate  the 
government  troops.  Some  little  fortifying 
had  been  done,  but  the  natural  surround- 
ings were  sufficient  to  prevent  a  prudent 
attack.  One  day  the  news  came  that  the 
government  troops  were  advancing  and 
then  some  little  work  was  done  to  prepare 
for  battle. 

The  day  before  the  battle,  I  told  General 
Pierola  I  had  no  objections  to  following 
him  to  the  battlefield,  but  in  consideration 
of  being  a  non-combatant,  I  asked  the  priv- 
ilege of  selecting  my  own  course,  giving 

70 


VIVA  GENERALISSIMO  PIEBOLA. 

him  my  word  of  honor  that  I  would  not 
make  any  attempt  to  escape.  He  was  sat- 
isfied and  gave  me  a  pass  allowing  the 
freedom  I  desired.  The  next  day  the  cry 
arose  that  the  government  troops  were 
only  six  miles  away.  There  was  hurrying 
to  and  fro  with  no  discipline.  The  priest 
accomplished  more  by  his  cross  than  all 
the  officers.  There  was  a  babel  of  voices. 
All  were  trying  to  give  commands.  Sud- 
denly heavy  firing  was  heard,  the  outpost 
had  become  engaged  at  last. 


71 


IX. 

AMID  THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE. 

The  main  body  of  the  insurgent  troops 
began  to  move  to  the  front,  headed  by  Gen- 
eral Pierola  and  the  priest  marching  to  the 
most  unearthly  music  I  ever  heard.  Wom- 
en were  conspicuous  and  cheered  as  the 
men  marched  past.  "Viva  Pierola!"  was 
heard  on  all  sides. 

Then  came  an  order  to  double  quick. 
The  outposts  were  driven  in  a  short  dis- 
tance, and  the  enemy  was  in  a  valley,  sur- 
rounded on  both  sides  by  a  chain  of  hills 
with  a  huge  mountain  in  the  background. 
When  I  saw  the  position  of  the  government 
troops,  I  was  satisfied  they  would  be  de- 
feated and  the  battle  become  a  rout.  There 
were  two  regiments  of  infantry  and  one  of 
cavalry  in  the  valley.  Pierola  stationed 
his  troops  on  each  side  of  the  pass  and  in 
front,  reserving  his  cavalry.  In  a  short 
time  the  engagement  became  general.  The 

72 


AMID  THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE. 

priest  encouraged  the  insurgents  by  dis- 
playing the  cross.  He  was  a  courageous 
fellow,  always  to  be  found  in  places  of 
danger.  I  mounted  a  huge  boulder  and 
could  easily  see  all  that  was  going  on.  The 
government  troops  would  waver  and  fall 
back,  and  again  they  would  renew  the  at- 
tempt to  scale  the  hillsides,  which  was  im- 
possible as  long  as  the  insurgents  held  their 
position. 

There  was  a  strange  happening  just 
when  success  seemed  assured.  The  insur- 
gent cavalry  had  taken  no  part  up  to  this 
time,  as  both  sides  of  the  valley  had  been 
actively  engaged.  The  insurgents  along 
the  pass  were  running  short  of  ammuni- 
tion. An  order  was  sent  to  the  captain  of 
the  cavalry  to  send  a  company  back  to  To- 
rato  and  assist  in  hurrying  up  supplies. 
There  was  a  brief  cessation  of  hostilities. 
I  could  plainly  see  the  government  troops 
carrying  their  dead  and  wounded  to  the 
rear,  but  still  holding  their  position.  When 
another  charge  was  made  to  take  the 
heights,  the  firing  again  became  general. 

73 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

Suddenly  arose  the  cry,  "They  come! 
They  come ! ' '  Firing  along  the  sides  of  the 
pass  ceased,  and  I  looked  in  amazement. 
Evidently,  something  was  wrong.  The  in- 
surgents were  throwing  away  their  arms 
and  running.  There  was  a  cloud  of  dust  in 
the  direction  of  Torato,  and  I  could  easily 
distinguish  a  company  of  cavalry,  which  I 
knew  was  the  company  sent  to  hurry  up  the 
ammunition.  The  insurgents  saw  them  and 
imagined  that  the  government  cavalry  had 
succeeded  in  getting  to  their  rear.  The 
panic  became  a  rout.  In  vain  did  Pierola 
plead,  as  he  threw  himself  in  front  of  his 
demoralized  men,  in  vain  did  the  priest 
hold  his  crucifix  on  high,  threatening  and 
pleading,  but  no  persuasion  could  stop 
those  runaway  cowards.  The  government 
troops  realized  something  was  wrong,  and 
began  to  scale  the  heights.  Still,  if  the 
cavalry  which  had  done  no  fighting,  could 
have  been  led  to  the  side  of  the  pass,  the 
day  would  still  have  been  with  Pierola,  and 
probably  the  stampede  would  have  been 
checked.  But  unfortunately  for  the  would- 

74 


AMID  THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE. 

be  president,  there  was  no  one  in  command 
capable  of  meeting  the  emergency. 

I  became  excited,  and  snatching  a  cut- 
lass from  the  hand  of  a  retreating  soldier, 
threw  myself  in  front  of  a  column  in  a 
vain  endeavor  to  stop  them,  but  they  ran 
over  me  like  so  many  sheep.  Terror  had 
lent  them  wings  of  flight  and  deprived  them 
of  reason.  By  this  time  the  government  in- 
fantry had  reached  the  plateau  and  was 
forming  into  companies.  Their  cavalry 
had  seized  the  heights  and  the  day  was 
lost. 

I  saw  General  Pierola  shake  hands  with 
the  priest  and  leave  the  field.  The  priest 
mounted  and  he,  too,  was  gone.  The 
ground  was  strewn  with  arms;  even  the 
discordant  musical  instruments  were  dis- 
carded. 

Thus  an  army  of  revolutionists,  who,  a 
few  hours  before  paraded  through  the 
streets  of  Torato,  cheered  by  fair  women, 
and  shouting  "Viva  Pierola,'  had  won  a 
battle  by  natural  surroundings  and  lost  it 
by  their  cowardice.  I,  too,  thought  it  was 

75 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

time  to  retreat,  as  my  escort  of  twenty  sol- 
diers had  long  since  disappeared.  I  rode 
to  Torato. 

Along  the  way  I  overtook  straggling 
bands  of  insurgents  going  into  town  to 
hide,  while  others  were  scaling  the  tallest 
mountains.  I  went  to  my  quarters,  and 
soon  the  town  was  surrounded. 

The  next  morning  about  two  hundred  in- 
surgents were  captured.  The  others  were 
hid  in  some  mysterious  way  and  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  government  troops 
was  made  to  believe  that  the  main  body  of 
the  insurgents  was  in  the  mountains. 

I  sought  the  general  of  the  government 
troops  to  inform  him  of  my  presence.  He 
replied  that  he  knew  of  my  being  a  pris- 
oner, and  asked  me  to  return  to  Moquequa 
at  once  and  help  to  get  the  railway  in  op- 
eration to  convey  his  troops  and  prisoners. 

I  was  glad  no  other  questions  were  put 
to  me,  and  after  pleading  with  the  general 
for  my  kind  host  who  had  treated  me  with 
great  kindness  in  Torato,  and  who  was  not 
in  sympathy  with  the  revolutionists,  he 

76 


THE  EARTH  BEGAN  TO  ROCK  AND  REEL. 

(Page  33) 


AMH)  THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE. 

agreed  to  exempt  him  from  the  payment  of 
money  levied  on  nearly  all  the  inhabitants. 

Soon  after  this  a  troop  ship  arrived  in 
Ilo  to  convey  prisoners  and  escort  to  Lima. 
I  felt  sorry  for  the  prisoners.  Many  of 
them  recognized  me  and  kept  calling, ' '  Don 
Juan,  please  try  and  help  us,"  but  of 
course  I  was  powerless  to  do  anything  for 
them.  I  was  glad  when  they  were  aboard 
the  transport  for  I  felt  miserable  in  the 
midst  of  so  much  suffering.  But  I  knew 
they  would  not  suffer  long.  Another  rev- 
olution would  set  them  free. 

The  railroad  was  again  in  running  order 
and  everything  progressing  smoothly  when 
one  morning  at  breakfast  I  was  informed 
that  Pierola  had  broke  out  again.  This 
time  his  party  had,  by  means  unknown, 
captured  the  Peruvian  ironclad  ram,  Huas- 
car.  He  must  have  been  aided  by  the  offi- 
cers, or  at  least  one  of  them  who  declared 
in  his  favor.  Howbeit,  he  had  possession. 
The  Peruvian  fleet  was  sent  in  pursuit,  but 
as  the  Huascar  was  the  most  powerful  ves- 
sel of  the  fleet,  they  had  to  give  her  up. 

77 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

The  fortunes  of  Pierola  were  brighter 
now  than  ever.  He  could,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Callao,  have  entire  command 
and  control  of  all  the  sea  ports  along  the 
coast.  But  unfortunately  for  him,  he  be- 
gan to  stop  the  British  mail,  and  later  the 
French  mail  on  the  high  seas,  his  object  be- 
ing to  intercept  mail  for  the  Peruvian  gov- 
ernment. 

The  British  government  dispatched  H. 
M.  S.  Amythist  and  the  Shah  to  compel 
him  to  surrender,  the  Huascar  having  had 
full  sway  along  the  coast  for  a  month. 

The  Huascar  finally  made  her  appear- 
ance in  the  port  of  Ho,  and  almost  imme- 
diately the  Amythist  and  Shah  hove  in 
sight.  I  had  a  good  view  from  the  beach 
and  saw  a  boat  lowered  from  the  Shah  and 
pull  directly  to  the  Huascar,  I  supposed  for 
the  purpose  of  demanding  her  surrender. 
However,  if  that  was  the  object,  it  failed, 
for  upon  the  return  of  the  boat  to  the  Shah, 
the  Amythist  cleared  for  action. 

The  afternoon  was  calm ;  not  a  ripple  on 
the  ocean.  The  Huascar  was  nearest  the 


78 


AMID  THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE. 

shore,  less  than  a  mile  from  where  I  stood. 
The  Shah  was  over  a  mile  distant  seaward. 
A  signal  flashed  from  the  Shah  and  the 
Amythist  steamed  toward  the  Huascar. 
The  Amythist  was  a  wooden  corvette, 
equipped  with  twin  screws.  The  Shah  was 
a  commerce  destroyer.  Neither  vessel  was 
a  match  for  the  modern  ironclad  Huascar. 

Suddenly  a  shot  came  from  the  Shah. 
The  flag  and  pole  at  the  stern  of  the  Huas- 
car dropped  overboard.  The  Huascar, 
equipped  with  a  revolving  turret,  sent  a 
shot  at  the  Amythist,  but  it  went  wide  of  its 
mark.  The  Amythist  circled  and  sent  a 
broadside  full  on  the  Huascar,  every  shot 
taking  effect.  With  the  aid  of  a  glass  I 
could  see  the  decks  of  the  Amythist  plainly 
from  my  position  on  a  huge  rock.  The 
British  sailors,  stripped  to  the  waist,  cut- 
lass in  hand,  stood  eagerly  awaiting  orders. 
The  gunners'  crews  were  engaged  in  firing 
rapidly.  The  Huascar  replied  by  slow  but 
heavy  reports  from  her  turret.  The  object 
of  the  British  was  to  disable  the  Huascar 's 


79 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

turret,  and  they  succeeded  by  directing  all 
shots  against  it. 

The  Huascar,  finding  she  could  not  effect 
the  enemy  by  shots,  turned  to  ram  her. 
The  Amythist,  being  equipped  with  twin 
screws,  awaited  the  Huascar  and  when 
within  a  short  distance  ran  alongside  and 
poured  her  whole  broadside  on  the  rebel. 
That  was  the  last  act  before  the  Huascar 
surrendered. 

I  was  aboard  the  Huascar  a  few  months 
afterward  at  Mollendo  and  she  presented  a 
most  dilapidated  appearance. 

Thus  again  was  General  Pierola  frus- 
trated, and  by  a  British  wooden  vessel 
against  a  crack  ironclad  of  Peru.  Pierola 
escaped  as  usual,  and  the  Huascar  was 
turned  over  to  the  Peruvian  government. 

A  few  days  after  the  Amythist-Huascar 
battle  I  discovered  the  people  of  Ho  were 
cold  and  distant  towards  me,  and  I  soon 
learned  the  cause.  Although  they  were  in 
favor  of  the  existing  government,  they  did 
not  relish  the  idea  of  their  people  being 
beaten  by  the  British.  I  could  not  condemn 

80 


AMID  THE  DIN   OF  BATTLE. 

the  acts  of  my  own  country  and  I  felt  it 
would  be  better  to  leave  Ilo,  which  I  did, 
little  dreaming  of  the  exciting  events  which 
were  soon  to  follow. 


81 


X. 

WE    MEET    AGAIN,    FELICITA. 

The  theater  of  Arequipa  was  ablaze  with 
lights.  The  youth  and  beauty  had  assem- 
bled to  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  Count  de 
Monte  Christo.  I  was  seated  in  the  dress 
circle  listening  to  the  wierd  warlike  strains 
of  Spanish  music,  when  my  eyes  fell  upon 
the  occupants  of  a  box.  A  beautiful  girl, 
half  hidden  by  the  rich  draperies,  was  talk- 
ing with  an  aristocratic  looking  old  gentle- 
man, while  by  their  side  sat  a  young  man 
dark-browed  and  sinister  looking.  I  arose 
and  entered  the  box  from  the  side  door. 
' '  Don  Julian  Maldonado,  I  am  delighted  to 
meet  you,"  I  said,  "I  am  the  boy  you  be- 
friended some  years  ago  in  the  Cordil- 
leras." 

He  took  my  hand  delightedly  and  bade 
me  be  seated,  offering  me  a  chair  between 
himself  and  daughter.  Don  Julian  whis- 

82 


WE    MEET   AGAIN,   FELICITA. 

pered  to  me  not  to  make  myself  known  to 
Felicita  to  see  if  she  would  recognize  me. 
All  this  was  amusing  to  Don  Julian,  but 
somewhat  embarrassing  to  me,  seated,  as  I 
was,  between  them,  and  trying  to  carry  on 
a  conversation  with  him  .  The  expression 
of  wonderment  in  Felicita 's  beautiful  eyes 
was  disconcerting  to  say  the  least.  It  was 
evident  she  did  not  remember  me.  And  yet 
how  could  she  be  expected  to.  She  was  a 
child  of  only  nine  years  when  we  first  met, 
and  who  now,  seven  years  later  found  me 
unexpected  and  unannounced  sitting  beside 
her  in  a  theater. 

Laughingly  I  turned  to  her  and  asked  if 
she  did  not  recognize  me,  explaining  that 
the  reason  her  father  had  not  presented 
me  was  that  we  had  met  seven  years  ago. 

While  I  was  speaking  she  was  looking 
earnestly  at  me,  but  when  I  recalled  their 
journey  to  LaPaz  she  appeared  dubious 
and  asked  if  I  was  the  young  lad  she  met 
near  Puno  and  if  it  was  possible  that  I  had 
grown  to  manhood  and  learned  to  speak 
Spanish?  When  I  reassured  her,  the  look 

83 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

of  astonishment  gave  way  to  an  exclama- 
tion of  joy. 

The  play  was  forgotten.  We  only  talked 
of  our  first  meeting.  She  asked  if  I  was 
staying  in  Arequipa  and  on  learning  that 
I  was,  promised  that  we  should  meet  again, 
as  her  father  had  decided  to  remain  there 
for  some  time.  I  was  delighted  but  felt 
somewhat  disturbed  because  of  the  young 
man  in  the  box  with  her.  When  I  began 
to  talk  to  Felicita  he  moved  his  seat  farth- 
er away.  The  Peruvians  are  the  acme  of 
politeness. 

The  play  being  over,  I  assisted  Felicita 
with  her  wraps.  Her  father  then  intro- 
duced me  to  Don  Rodrigo  Garcia,  a  fellow 
traveller  whom  they  had  met  on  their  jour- 
ney from  Cusco  to  Arequipa. 

I  was  not  particularly  well  pleased  with 
the  young  man.  First  impressions  some- 
times give  rise  to  doubt  and  distrust.  It 
was  so  with  me  in  this  instance.  Don 
Julian  insisted  on  my  going  home  with 
them.  I  walked  with  Felicita  on  one  side 
and  Don  Julian  on  the  other,  Don  Eodrigo 

84 


WE    MEET    AGAIN,    FELICITA. 

walking  just  ahead  of  me.  Their  home  was 
on  Calle  Mercaderes,  one  of  the  prettiest 
squares  of  the  city.  Like  most  Peruvian 
homes,  the  house  was  of  adobe  with  flat 
roof  and  partitions  of  plastered  cane.  It 
contained  six  rooms.  In  the  windows  were 
heavy  iron  bars,  like  all  houses  of  the  bet- 
ter class.  They  were  very  serviceable,  for 
Spanish  lovers  do  their  courting  between 
the  window  bars.  The  girl  sits  beside  the 
window  and  her  wooer  stands  in  the  street ; 
the  parents  sometimes  invite  him  in. 
Should  he  request  the  company  of  the  girl 
to  the  play  or  to  any  entertainment,  the 
invitation  must  include  the  whole  family. 
This  custom  in  the  larger  cities  is  dying 
out,  but  in  the  inland  cities  it  is  still  ad- 
hered to. 

Arriving  at  the  door,  I  bade  Felicita  and 
her  father  good  night  with  the  assurance 
that  I  would  dine  with  them  the  next  day. 
Don  Eodrigo  also  was  invited.  His  hotel 
was  on  my  way  and  I  accompanied  him. 
He  was  splendid  company,  and  after  reach- 
ing his  hotel  I  accepted  his  invitation  to  a 

85 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

light  lunch.  Afterwards  we  enjoyed  a  ci- 
gar and  some  rich  old  wine,  but  still  I  could 
not  overcome  the  aversion  I  first  formed 
for  him. 

The  following  day,  long  before  the  ap- 
pointed time  for  dinner,  I  was  dressed  and 
ready.  Chico,  a  half-breed  Indian,  whom  I 
had  rendered  a  service  one  time  when  he 
was  being  set  upon  by  some  of  his  own 
people,  and  who  afterwards  slept  in  my 
passage  way,  had  my  boots  polished  and 
horse  carefully  groomed.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful servant.  He  would  find  out  where  I 
went  and  quietly  follow,  and  after  the  man- 
ner of  his  race,  would  lie  down  in  some  ob- 
scure place  in  perfect  contentment  and 
wait  for  me.  I  arrived  at  the  home  of  Don 
Julian  at  the  appointed  time,  and  found  the 
father  and  daughter  awaiting  me.  A  few 
moments  later,  Don  Rodrigo  arrived  and 
we  were  seated  in  the  parlor  facing  the 
street.  It  was  splendidly  appointed.  Al- 
though the  exterior  of  many  Peruvian  resi- 
dences appear  shabby,  the  interior  presents 
a  far  different  appearance. 

86 


WE    MEET   AGAIN,   FELICITA. 

I  requested  Felicita  to  play  for  us  and 
time  passed  quickly.  Dinner  being  called  I 
took  the  liberty  of  escorting  Felicita  to  the 
table  and  was  given  the  place  beside  her. 
The  Indian  servants  between  courses,  kept 
our  glasses  filled.  Felicita  did  not  take 
wine,  and  when  dinner  was  over  retired, 
leaving  us  to  enjoy  our  cigars  and  liquor. 
We  afterwards  adjourned  to  the  parlor, 
where  I  gave  my  friends  on  account  of  my 
life  since  our  first  meeting.  I  could  see 
that  Don  Rodrigo  took  every  opportunity 
to  make  light  of  my  narrative. 

I  did  not  allude  to  being  in  Ilo  during  the 
Amythist  and  Huascar  affair,  but  after  I 
had  given  my  friends  a  brief  account  of 
myself,  Don  Rodrigo  asked  me  my  nation- 
ality. I  told  him  I  was  Scottish.  He  then 
asked  me  what  I  thought  of  the  Huascar 
affair,  hoping  no  doubt  to  belittle  my 
standing  with  Don  Julian.  I  replied  that  I 
had  given  it  very  little  thought,  and  more- 
over considered  it  a  question  for  both  gov- 
ernments to  settle,  and  was  satisfied  that 
everything  would  be  adjusted  amicably. 

87 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

My  reply  seemed  to  annoy  him,  as  he 
doubtless  thought  I  would  commit  myself, 
and  take  the  part  of  the  British.  He  arose, 
and  pleading  a  press  of  business,  begged 
permission  to  retire.  He  shook  hands  with 
Don  Julian  and  daughter,  but  merely 
bowed  to  me.  I  was  glad  he  was  gone. 

Never  before  had  I  been  so  happy  as 
now,  in  Felicita's  presence.  For  the  first 
time  since  leaving  home  this  was  the  only 
pleasure  I  had  known.  Felicita  sang  some 
pretty  Spanish  ballads  to  the  music  of  her 
guitar  and  I  went  home  that  night  with  a 
lightness  of  heart  I  had  not  experienced 
for  a  long  time. 

My  duties  not  requiring  me  to  be  away 
from  Arequipa  often,  much  of  my  time  was 
spent  with  Felicita.  Together  we  would 
ride  horseback  over  the  picturesque  valley, 
with  its  olive  and  orange  groves  and  along 
shaded  avenues  of  palms,  with  pebbly 
brooks  of  crystal  waters  on  either  side.  The 
pure  air  and  semi-tropical  skies  stimulated 
our  buoyant  spirits,  and  made  these  the 
halcyon  days  of  my  existence.  My  first 

88 


WE    MEET   AGAIN,   FELICITA. 

dreams  of  love  when  we  met  in  the  Cordil- 
leras were  now  a  blissful  reality. 

I  saw  little  of  Don  Rodrigo  in  the  weeks 
that  followed  and  was  seldom  in  the  com- 
pany of  my  comrades.  Once  a  week  I 
would  join  them  at  the  club,  but  aside  from 
that  I  was  always  to  be  found  at  Don  Ju- 
lian's home. 

Months  sped  by  in  sweet  content  as  the 
world  took  on  a  more  roseate  hue  and  the 
future  presented  an  alluring  picture. 

I  met  Don  Eodrigo  on  the  street  one  day 
and  as  he  nodded  slightly  I  noticed  an  evil 
look  in  his  eyes.  On  returning  to  my  room 
late  that  night  something  glistened  in  the 
moonlight  on  my  door.  I  struck  a  match,  a 
blood  red  heart  was  traced  on  the  panel, 
and  in  the  center  stuck  a  dagger.  What 
did  it  mean? 


XL 

THE  MASQUE  BALL  AT  TIRAVAYA. 

It  was  the  night  of  the  annual  masque 
ball  at  Tiravaya,  a  summer  resort  a  few 
miles  from  Arequipa.  The  hall  was 
crowded  with  dancers;  many  gentlemen 
were  in  Cavalier  costume,  with  swords 
clanking  at  their  sides.  Others  were  in 
helmets,  gorglet  and  breastplate,  to  repre- 
sent Pizarro's  conquerors  of  Peru.  Many 
of  the  ladies  wore  quaint  costumes  and 
rich  attire  of  the  court  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  while  a  few  were  attired  in 
grotesque  costumes.  Felicita  was  dressed 
as  a  princess  of  the  court  of  the  ancient 
Incas,  with  a  head  dress  of  the  rich  plum- 
age of  tropic  birds.  I  was  dressed  in  the 
Highland  garb  of  Scotland. 

I  soon  discovered  Felicita  by  the  rosebud 
in  her  hair.  We  took  part  in  the  grand 
march  and  in  nearly  all  the  dances.  The 
soft  strains  of  the  music  and  the  gayety 

90 


THE  MASQUE  BALL  AT  TIEAVAYA. 

of  the  picturesque  throng  in  the  brilliantly 
lighted  room  made  the  hours  pass  quickly 
and  it  was  soon  time  for  unmasking.  After 
the  general  greeting  was  over,  we  proceed- 
ed to  the  dining  room  where  an  elegant  re- 
past was  served.  The  supper  being  fin- 
ished, the  music  struck  up  again  as  the  wine 
was  being  served.  Just  then  I  observed 
Rodrigo  for  the  first  time,  and  noticed  that 
he  was  intently  watching  me.  I  called  Fe- 
licita's  attention  to  him  and  she  seemed  to 
be  frightened.  She  wanted  to  return  home, 
but  I  assured  her  there  was  no  danger ;  we 
were  among  friends.  She  replied  that  I 
was  not  familiar  with  Spanish  hatred,  and 
that  he  would  sooner  or  later  insult  me.  I 
had  known  for  more  than  three  months, 
that  he  had  proposed  to  Felicita  and  been 
refused.  I  also  knew  he  was  a  gambler  and 
lived  on  his  chances  at  the  faro  table.  Be- 
ing an  expert  and  without  any  sense  of  hon- 
or, even  to  one  of  that  profession,  he  was 
seldom  unsuccessful.  I  had  never  men- 
tioned to  Don  Julian  or  Felicita  his  manner 
of  life. 


91 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

An  American,  who  unfortunately  got  un- 
der the  influence  of  wine,  proposed  a  toast 
to  Peru,  to  which  we  all  responded  by  rais- 
ing our  glasses.  Another  toast  was  given 
to  the  United  States  which  received  a  simi- 
lar response.  Toast  followed  toast  in  quick 
succession.  I  merely  raised  my  glass  as  I 
had  no  desire  to  drink  any  more,  and  know- 
ing the  long  distance  before  me,  I  was  on 
the  point  of  calling  for  Chico  to  have  our 
horses  in  readiness,  when  I  heard  my  name 
called  and  found  that  I  was  requested  to 
make  a  speech.  I  arose  and  congratulated 
the  company  present  for  the  pleasant  time 
we  had  passed,  and  the  happy  manner  in 
which  everything  had  been  conducted  by 
our  host.  All  rose  and  gave  him  three 
cheers. 

Don  Eodrigo  then  stepped  to  the  center 
between  both  tables,  and  asked  everyone 
present  who  denounced  the  British  govern- 
ment for  its  action  in  the  Huascar  affair, 
to  stand  up.  I  knew  the  insult  was  meant 
for  me.  I  refused  to  stand,  as  also  did 
two  of  my  British  friends.  After  they  were 

92 


THE   MASQUE  BALL  AT  TIBAVAYA. 

seated  Felicita  again  pleaded  with  me  to 
leave,  but  I  could  not  do  so  with  honor 
then,  and  had  I  done  so,  I  would  have  been 
held  in  contempt  afterwards.  Don  Rodrigo 
came  to  where  I  was  seated  and  addressing 
himself  to  me  said: 

"I  observe  that  you  refuse  to  condemn 
the  action  of  the  British  government.  Of 
course  you  are  a  Britisher,  but  I  must  say 
that  the  action  of  your  government  was 
of  the  most  cowardly  nature,  and  anyone 
who  upholds  such  actions  deserves  the 
name  of  coward;  in  fact,  anyone  who  al- 
lows himself  to  be  ruled  by  the  Queen  of 
Great  Britain  must  be  anything  but  a 
brave  man." 

I  cannot  describe  the  thoughts  that  ran 
through  my  brain.  I  stood  like  one  para- 
lyzed. I  could  neither  move  nor  speak,  but 
I  was  conscious  that  everyone  was  looking 
at  me  and  seemed  to  enjoy  my  discom- 
fiture. Felicita  placed  both  hands  on  my 
right  arm  and  looked  pleadingly  in  my  face. 
I  could  see  everything  quite  plainly,  but  I 
was  bereft  of  all  powers.  Then  by  a  valiant 

93 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

effort  I  recovered  myself.  Bending  down, 
I  told  Felicita  to  remain  and  not  be 
alarmed. 

I  arose  and  went  to  where  Don  Eodrigo 
stood.  I  was  calm  and  collected.  "Don 
Rodrigo,'  I  said,  "I  came  here  by  invita- 
tion, and  when  I  accepted  had  no  thought 
of  being  insulted.  Neither  do  I  believe 
that  our  host  or  the  gentlemen  present  in- 
tended that  I  should  be.  You  have  with- 
out provocation  on  my  part,  insulted  my 
Queen  and  called  her  subjects  cowards. 
The  country  that  gave  me  birth  never  pro- 
duced cowards  and  I  want  to  convince  you 
that  I  am  not  an  exception.'  With  this  I 
dealt  him  a  terrific  blow  in  the  face. 

He  fell  heavily  to  the  floor  and  all  was 
confusion.  Men  leaped  on  tables  and 
chairs.  Cries  of  "Down  with  the  foreign- 
er!" were  heard  on  every  side.  Then  my 
British  friends  came  over  to  where  I 
stood,  one  of  they  saying,  "Good,  Jack, 
the  coward  deserved  it !  Let  us  stand  side 
by  side  and  show  them  how  the  Queen's 
subjects  can  defend  themselves!" 

94 


THE   MASQUE  BALL  AT  TIRAVAYA, 

I  can  see  him  now,  his  auburn  hair  dis- 
arranged and  partially  hanging  over  his 
forehead,  his  blue  eyes  sparkling  with  in- 
dignation, his  right  hand  holding  a  revol- 
ver. The  other  said,  "There  are  only 
three  of  us  but  we  will  show  them  how 
Britishers  can  fight,"  at  the  same  time 
drawing  his  Colt's.  I  had  also  pulled  my 
gun,  anticipating  the  worst,  when  the 
American  drew  near  and  said:  "Jack,  I 
know  nothing  of  your  Queen  or  country;  I 
am  an  American,  but  you  did  right,  and 
what  I  would  do  under  similar  circum- 
stances. I  will  stand  by  you,  although  we 
have  little  chance  against  such  odds." 

By  this  time  Don  Eodrigo  had  been  as- 
sisted to  his  feet,  blood  all  over  his  face. 
The  uproar  ceased  for  a  few  minutes,  as 
the  crowd  was  without  a  leader.  The  blow 
had  told  with  effect — two  front  teeth  were 
gone  and  both  eyes  were  discolored,  caused, 
I  think,  by  him  coming  in  contact  with  the 
floor.  In  a  few  moments  cries  of  "Down 
with  the  foreigner, ' '  again  commenced.  We 
knew  it  threatened  our  lives,  but  when  they 

95 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

looked  down  the  barrels  of  four  revolvers 
they  knew  it  also  threatened  some  of  their 
lives. 

Springing  on  a  chair,  I  asked  them  to  lis- 
ten to  me.  I  told  them  that  the  quarrel  they 
had  witnessed  had  been  sought  by  Don 
Eodrigo  against  me ;  and  I  asked  why  oth- 
ers should  suffer  ?  Let  him  finish  his  quar- 
rel with  me  now  or  at  any  other  time  he 
chose — I  would  always  meet  him,  and  sure- 
ly gentlemen  such  as  I  knew  them  to  be 
would  not  so  far  forget  themselves  as  to 
endeavor  to  overcome  us,  who  had  never 
done  them  harm? 

This  appeal  was  effective.  Don  Bodrigo 
had  been  washed,  and  never  did  I  see  a  face 
with  such  devilish  and  malignant  expres- 
sion. I  was  young  and  strong,  with  quite 
a  knowledge  of  the  art  of  self  defense,  and 
I  watched  him  very  closely  lest  he  should 
draw  a  knife. 

Presently  he  said  that  he  would  be  the 
judge  of  time  and  place  and  manner  of 
meeting  me,  and  that  I  would  yet  remem- 
ber Don  Eodrigo  Garcia.  I  did  not  answer 

96 


THE   MASQUE  BALL  AT  TIBAVAYA. 

and  he  walked  out  of  the  hall.  I  drank 
several  glasses  of  wine  with  those  who,  but 
a  few  moments  before,  were  crying  for  re- 
venge. I  found  Chico  near  me,  and  could 
hardly  refrain  from  laughing  when  I  dis- 
covered that  he  had  armed  himself  before 
leaving  Arequipa  with  a  great  navy  revol- 
ver he  found  in  my  room.  I  am  satisfied 
had  an  attack  been  made  on  us,  Chico  would 
have  done  his  part,  provided  he  had  found 
a  way  to  use  the  revolver.  I  am  satisfied  he 
never  saw  one  before  he  came  to  Arequipa. 

I  told  him  to  get  the  horses  ready  and 
my  friends  remained  near  to  prevent  any 
treachery.  However,  we  were  not  molested 
on  the  way  home.  Felicita  begged  me  to 
watch  Don  Eodrigo.  "I  know,'  she  said, 
' '  that  man's  nature.  He  will  watch  you  al- 
ways, and  while  he  will  not  attack  you 
alone,  he  will  pay  others  to  inflict  some  in- 
jury on  you. ' ' 

Don  Julian  was  waiting  and  had  hot 
cocoa  ready  for  us.  We  both  concluded 
that  we  would  better  tell  him  what  had 
happened  lest  he  hear  a  wrong  version 

97 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

from  others.  They  were  determined  that 
I  should  spend  the  remainder  of  the  night 
in  their  house,  but  I  concluded  it  would  ap- 
pear cowardly.  So,  I  bade  them  good 
night  and,  with  Chico  following,  perfectly 
happy  over  the  few  dollars  I  had  given 
him,  I  reached  home  in  safety. 

I  thought  much  about  the  affair  at  Tira- 
vaya  and  determined  to  watch  Don  Eodrigo 
closely.  A  week  later  Don  Julian  informed 
me  he  was  going  to  Aacna  on  business.  He 
would  be  gone  several  days,  but  Felicita 
would  stay  here.  Fatal  mistake. 


98 


XII. 

COWARDLY  ACT   OF  A  VILLIAN. 

' '  Don  Juan !  Ah,  Don  Juan !  Something 
dreadful !  Felicita ! ' '  cried  Chico  as  he 
burst  into  my  room  breathless  near  mid- 
night. 

"What  is  it?"  I  demanded,  "quick,  I 
say,"  but  he  could  only  gasp  "Felicita!" 

I  hurried  to  the  stable  and  saddled  my 
horse,  Chico  following.  "We  rode  with  all 
haste  to  the  home  of  Don  Julian.  Every- 
thing was  in  uproar.  The  Indian  servants 
moaned  and  cried,  and  pointed  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  road  leading  to  the  cemetery. 
Thither  I  rode,  fast  as  my  horse  could  run. 
It  was  a  lonely  road,  with  few  houses  by 
the  wayside  and  those  were  mostly  Indian 
huts.  It  was  nearly  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  no  one  to  be  seen — on  and  on  I 
went.  I  could  see  a  dark  outline  of  what  I 
thought  must  be  a  vehicle  of  some  kind. 
As  carriages  are  seldom  used  in  Arequipa, 

99 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

I  concluded  that  this  must  be  bearing  Fe- 
licita  away.  I  drove  the  spurs  harder  and 
leaned  forward,  peering  into  the  darkness. 
I  was  gaining  rapidly.  I  was  certain  now 
that  it  was  Felicita,  for  they  were  driving 
at  full  speed.  I  never  thought  how  I  was 
to  rescue  her,  my  whole  purpose  being  to 
catch  up  with  that  villain.  Just  then  the 
moon  shone  bright  from  behind  a  cloud 
and  lighted  up  the  scene.  The  occupants 
of  the  carraige  now  knew  they  were  being 
pursued,  and  they  stopped.  I  could  plainly 
see  two  men  unhitch  two  horses  from  be- 
hind the  carriage.  They  took  Felicita  from 
the  carriage  and  were  forcing  her  to  mount 
when,  suddenly,  her  horse  became  unman- 
ageable, and  she  fell  to  the  ground.  By 
this  time  I  was  close  upon  them,  and  called 
to  Felicita  to  be  brave,  but  the  poor  girl 
never  heard  me,  for  she  was  unconscious. 
Don  Rodrigo  stopped,  as  if  determined  to 
resist  me.  Would  to  God  he  had !  But  he 
put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  fled.  I  shot  at 
him,  but  as  the  distance  was  great,  and  the 
light  uncertain,  the  bullet  went  wide  of  the 

100 


COWAKDLY  ACT   OF   A  VILLAIN. 

mark.  I  soon  forgot  him  on  reaching  Felic- 
ita,  as  she  lay  with  an  ugly  cut  on  her  head 
caused  by  striking  the  carriage  step  when 
she  fell.  There  lay  my  child-friend,  uncon- 
scious. She  was  dressed  for  retiring,  her 
other  clothes  being  in  the  carriage.  My 
first  impulse  was  to  pursue  the  accursed 
scoundrel  and  avenge  the  insult  to  Felicita, 
but  I  could  not  leave  her  there.  I  took  her 
in  my  arms  and  carried  her  to  a  near-by 
Indian  hut  where,  after  some  parley  with 
the  poor,  superstitious  Indians,  the  door 
was  opened,  and  I  laid  my  burden  on  some 
sheepskins  on  the  floor.  Her  hands  were 
cold  and  she  appeared  to  be  dead. 

By  this  time,  Chico  arrived  and  brought 
her  clothes  from  the  carriage.  I  staunched 
the  flow  of  blood  with  my  handkerchief, 
while  Chico  prepared  some  hot  native  liq- 
uor, which  I  put  to  her  lips.  After  a  time, 
she  opened  her  eyes,  but  did  not  know  me. 
I  called  and  called  her  name,  but  it  was 
long  before  consciousness  returned.  When 
she  did  recognize  me,  a  look  of  love  and 
happiness  passed  over  her  face.  I  would 

101 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

not  let  her  speak,  but  told  her  that  when 
she  was  taken  home,  she  could  tell  me  all. 
The  carriage  driver  had  long  since  made 
his  escape,  so  I  had  sent  to  Arequipa  and 
had  a  closed  carriage  brought,  in  which  I 
took  her  home. 

Time  dragged  wearily  until  the  return  of 
her  father.  I  remained  by  her  side  and 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Indian  servants, 
made  her  as  comfortable  as  possible.  I 
had  been  without  sleep  so  long  that  I  had 
gone  into  the  parlor  and  laid  down.  I  had 
just  awakened  from  a  sleep  when  Don  Jul- 
ian entered.  Poor  old  man,  he  was  over- 
come with  grief.  He  knew  all,  Felicita  had 
told  him.  From  him  I  learned  how  the  ab- 
duction had  taken  place.  About  11  o  'clock 
at  night,  Don  Eodrigo  had  entered  the  bed- 
room and  before  she  realized  what  was  be- 
ing done,  Felicita  had  been  carried  to  the 
carriage  in  waiting.  Leaving  her  in  charge 
of  the  driver,  Don  Eodrigo  returned  for 
her  clothes.  No  sooner  was  his  back  turned 
than  she  screamed.  This  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  Chico,  who  had  been  enjoying  a 

102 


COWARDLY  ACT  OF  A  VILLAIN. 

visit  with  Don  Julian's  Indian  servants  in 
the  kitchen.  He  had  run  at  full  speed  to 
inform  me. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  Don  Julian  that 
Don  Rodrigo  had  intended  taking  the  child 
to  some  remote  Indian  habitation  in  the 
mountains,  and  demanding  a  ransom  for 
her. 

This  was  a  plausible  theory,  for  besides 
getting  revenge  for  Felicita  refusing  his 
hand  in  marriage,  he  would  be  able  to  ex- 
tort money  from  Don  Julian,  and  also 
avenge  his  fancied  wrongs  at  my  hands. 

The  following  day  Felicita  was  still  weak 
and  nervous.  The  doctor  advised  that  she 
be  taken  to  the  sea  coast  for  a  time.  She 
protested,  saying  she  was  getting  stronger, 
but  I  knew  she  was  only  saying  it  to  cheer 
her  father  and  myself.  I  could  plainly  see 
her  condition  was  precarious.  After  a  long 
consultation  with  the  doctors,  Don  Julian 
decided  he  would  take  her  to  Truxillo,  their 
former  home.  After  considerable  plead- 
ing, she  consented  to  go.  I  was  to  follow 
when  she  recovered. 


103 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

I  accompanied  them  and  their  Indian 
servants  aboard  the  steamer  and  remained 
aboard  the  little  ferry  boat,  waving  my 
handkerchief  until  they  faded  into  the  dis- 
tance. I  returned  ashore,  and  although 
I  had  not  been  in  Mollendo  for  some  time, 
I  had  no  desire  to  see  my  friends.  I 
wanted  to  be  alone. 

Weeks  of  dreary  waiting  followed.  I 
was  not  myself.  Anxiously  I  looked  for  a 
letter  and  with  trembling  hands  I  broke  the 
seal.  The  letter  was  dated  Lima,  and  read : 
"Don  Juan,  I  am  crazy.  Felicita  is  dead. 
Will  write  you  all,  when  I  am  composed. 
Julian. ' ' 

Never  was  human  being  more  distracted 
than  I.  Absenting  myself  from  everybody 
night  after  night  in  deep  ravines  and  val- 
leys, among  the  lofty  mountains  that  sur- 
rounded Arequipa,  I  wandered.  Many  an 
Indian  no  doubt  looked  upon  me  with  su- 
perstitious awe,  walking  without  caring 
whither  I  went,  like  one  demented.  A  sec- 
ond  letter  came  stating  that  the  death  of 
Felicita  was  caused  by  a  terrible  cold  she 

104 


COWARDLY  ACT  OF  A  VILLAIN. 

had  contracted  and  the  nervous  shock  suf- 
fered on  the  night  of  the  abduction.  Like 
his  first,  Don  Julian's  letter  was  brief.  He 
said:  "I  will  let  you  know  where  she  is 
buried  in  my  next,  and  I  think  I  will  not 
be  long  after  her. ' ' 

I  concluded  to  go  to  Lima,  but  another 
letter,  dated  Truxillo,  stated  that  he  had 
left  Lima  and  would  bury  Felicita  in  Trux- 
illo. I  received  no  more  missives.  To  go 
to  Lima  was  useless,  to  go  to  Truxillo  and 
perhaps  not  find  him  there,  would  not  ac- 
complish anything  so  I  decided  to  wait  un- 
til I  heard  further  news.  I  scarcely  know 
how  I  passed  my  time.  Night  after  night 
I  would  go  up  town,  play  billiards  and  vis- 
it the  drinking  places,  always  with  the 
hope  that  I  would  meet  Don  Rodrigo. 

I  intended,  when  1  heard  from  Don  Ju- 
lian to  make  a  trip  to  Truxillo,  visit  the 
last  resting  place  of  Felicita,  and  perhaps 
remain  in  Lima,  away  from  scenes  that 
reminded  me  of  the  only  happy  time  in  my 
existence,  and  its  tragic  ending.  But  cir- 

105 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

cumstances  over  which  I  had  no  control 
changed  my  plans. 

One  night,  as  I  was  sitting  alone  in  my 
room,  a  boy  handed  me  a  telegram.  It 
was  from  the  general  manager  of  the  rail- 
road, saying  to  report  at  his  office  at  once 
and  bring  all  the  engine  runners  with  me, 
and  to  enjoin  absolute  secrecy  on  the  part 
of  the  men.  I  did  as  requested,  and  now 
begins  one  of  the  most  exciting  adventures 
of  my  life. 


106 


XIII. 

MURDEROUS  PLAN  OF  THE  INSURGENTS. 

On  my  arrival  at  the  manager's  office, 
I  found  him  in  consultation  with  the  Pre- 
fecto  of  Arequipa  and  the  General  in  com- 
mand of  the  regular  army.  I  was  inform- 
ed that  another  revolution  was  about  to 
be  attempted  in  Peru  in  favor  of  General 
Pierola. 

The  General  said  he  had  a  valuable  pack- 
age which  must  be  delivered  to  the  Pre- 
fecto  of  Puno,  that  in  the  event  the  pack- 
age was  captured  it  would  ruin  all  their 
plans.  Would  I  undertake  to  deliver  it  for 
the  government!  I  turned  to  the  general 
manager  and,  speaking  to  him  in  English, 
said:  "There  is  some  mystery  connected 
with  this.  Before  I  pledge  myself  to  do 
this,  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  a  clear 
understanding."  He  repeated  my  request 
to  the  General,  who  informed  me  that  a 

107 


secret  message  had  come  over  the  wires 
that  a  revolution  had  broken  out  again, 
and  this  time  the  insurgents  had  taken 
possession  of  several  points  to  prevent  the 
government  troops  from  reaching  Puno; 
that  the  package  I  was  to  take  was  a  notice 
to  the  Prefecto  of  Puno,  for  himself  and 
those  in  favor  of  the  government,  to  pro- 
ceed to  a  designated  place,  where  the  gov- 
ernment troops  would  arrive,  and  march 
by  stages  to  Puno. 

I  realized  the  danger  connected  with 
this  undertaking  and  accepted  the  respon- 
sibility with  some  trepidation.  A  gener- 
ous reward  awaited  me  if  I  succeeded,  but 
it  was  understood  in  accepting  the  perilous 
message,  no  instructions  were  to  be  given 
me;  that  I  was  to  use  my  own  judgment 
and,  if  danger  threatened  the  package,  to 
destroy  it  before  it  should  be  captured. 

The  little  Arequipena  had  long  since 
been  rebuilt,  and  I  at  once  proceeded  to 
put  her  in  readiness  for  the  journey.  Man- 
uel, my  fireman,  was  a  native  of  Arequipa, 
a  powerfully  built  and  sturdy  fellow.  He 

108 


MUKDEROUS  PLAN  OF  THE  INSURGENTS. 

had  been  much  among  the  British  and 
American  railway  men  and  could  under- 
stand English. 

After  leaving  orders  as  to  the  time  of 
starting,  I  called  on  an  English  friend  and 
confided  my  mission.  I  asked  him,  in  event 
of  my  death,  to  write  to  my  relatives  in 
Scotland,  giving  the  details.  He  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  dissuade  me,  but  I 
told  him  his  talk  was  idle.  No  use,  I  had 
made  up  my  mind.  Upon  seeing  the  Are- 
quipena  ready,  the  men  in  the  shops  ques- 
tioned me,  but  I  evaded  their  questions. 

I  went  to  the  office  of  the  general  man- 
ager and  he  gave  me  the  package,  unad- 
dressed,  done  up  securely,  and  sealed  with 
red  wax.  I  placed  it  in  the  inside  pocket 
of  my  vest.  The  manager  asked  me  to  be 
careful  with  myself.  He  would  much  rath- 
er I  should  not  go,  but  in  my  state  of  mind, 
I  was  only  too  glad  to  get  my  thoughts  off 
the  sad  remembrance  of  Felicita's  fate. 

I  left  Arequipa  at  ten  o  'clock  that  night, 
cautiously  and  silently  leaving  the  station. 
I  arrived  at  Puno  the  following  evening 

109 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

and  lay  over  at  Juliaca  Junction  a  few 
hours.  At  this  point  the  station  master 
asked  me  where  I  was  going.  I  replied 
that  I  had  orders  for  Puno.  Leaving  Juli- 
aca, I  arrived  at  Puno  at  exactly  five 
o'clock.  I  blew  the  whistle  for  the  station. 
I  noticed  that  it  was  crowded  with  people, 
but  saw  no  one  I  would  suspect  of  being  a 
revolutionist.  I  put  the  engine  in  the  shed, 
and  then  went  and  washed  up.  I  hid  the 
package  in  a  secure  place,  where  it  was  im- 
posible  for  anyone  to  find  it,  as  I  had 
planned  to  go  to  the  hotel,  eat  supper  and 
then  learn  my  chances  for  getting  to  the 
Prefecto,  before  I  took  the  package  from 
its  hiding  place.  The  station  of  Puno, 
like  all  terminal  stations  of  the  Arequipa 
railway,  was  fenced  in  by  corrugated  iron, 
about  eight  feet  high,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  go  through  the  station  outlet,  which  was 
only  opened  on  the  arrival  and  departure 
of  trains,  or  another  outlet  guarded  by  a 
dog  and  night  watchman.  I  went  out  by 
the  small  gate,  familiarly  bidding  the 
watchman  good  evening.  This  gate  only 

HO 


MURDEROUS  PLAN  OF  THE  INSURGENTS. 

employes  had  the  right  to  use.  I  walked 
up  town  to  the  hotel  Inca.  I  met  several 
gentlemen  who  knew  me  and  asked  one  to 
play  a  game  of  billiards  before  supper.  No 
one  seemed  to  think  that  my  coming  was 
anything  more  than  the  usual  routine  of 
railway  business. 

After  darkness,  I  lit  a  cigar  and  strolled 
down  the  street  where  the  Prefecto  lived. 
I  observed  the  sentry  at  the  front  entrance 
and  upon  close  observation,  I  found  that 
the  rear  of  the  house  could  be  approached 
by  a  little  back  street  connecting  with  a 
small  alleyway  by  means  of  which  the 
house  could  be  entered  from  the  front. 

I  retraced  my  steps  to  the  station  but 
did  not  go  near  the  gate.  I  went  around  to 
the  engine  shed,  where  an  opening  had  been 
made  by  the  boys  so  they  could  get  to  their 
rooms  when  out  late  nights  and  avoid 
answering  the  questions  of  the  watchman. 
When  I  reached  the  Arequipena,  the  wipers 
were  cleaning  her.  I  spoke  to  the  foreman, 
and  getting  the  package,  went  out  the  same 
way,  no  one  noticing  my  departure.  Then 

111 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

going  through  the  narrow  street  I  went  up 
the  small  alley  and,  seeing  no  one,  present- 
ed myself  at  the  main  entrance  of  the  Pre- 
f ecto  's  house.  Here  the  sentry  barred  my 
passage  and  demanded  the  password.  I 
told  him  to  call  the  officer  of  the  guard,  and 
when  he  appeared  I  explained  that  I  had 
important  business  with  Senor  Prefecto, 
and  desired  to  see  him  personally. 

"Who  are  you!" 

"The  Senor  Prefecto  will  answer  that 
question, ' '  I  replied. 

I  had  folded  the  package  and  hid  it  in  the 
lining  of  my  overcoat  which  I  had  thrown 
over  my  arm.  The  officer  withdrew  for  a 
few  minutes,  but  soon  returned  and  al- 
lowed me  to  pass  the  sentry.  Halting  in 
front  of  a  large  door,  a  signal  was  given 
and  it  was  opened  by  another  officer.  I 
was  ushered  in,  and  from  there  into  an  ad- 
joining room,  where  I  was  told  to  wait. 

Presently  there  came  in  a  priest,  then  an 
officer  with  side  arms,  and  last  Senor  Pre- 
fecto, who  asked  me  the  nature  of  my  busi- 
ness. I  replied  that  I  had  a  message  for 

112 


MURDEROUS  PLAN  OF  THE  INSURGENTS. 

the  Prefecto,  which  could  be  imparted  to 
him  alone.  When  my  errand  was  com- 
municated to  him,  he  could  do  as  he  chose. 

There  was  much  hesitation  before  my  re- 
quest for  a  private  audience  was  granted, 
but  on  being  searched,  overcoat  and  all,  the 
Senor  Prefecto  finally  agreed  to  see  me 
alone.  When  the  others  had  retired,  I  took 
the  package  from  the  lining  of  my  overcoat 
and  gave  it  to  him. 

I  watched  him  closely  as  he  read  the  con- 
tents. His  face  became  blanched,  and  his 
hands  shook  in  abject  fear,  although  noth- 
ing else  could  have  been  expected  from 
him,  as  he  was  an  arrant  coward. 

After  reading  the  document,  he  called 
the  others.  He  handed  it  to  the  priest,  who 
asked  where  I  came  from.  I  told  him. 
Then  he  wanted  to  know  if  anyone  had 
seen  me  enter  here,  and  whether  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Arequipena  was  known.  I  told 
him  I  thought  no  one  would  pay  any  atten- 
tion to  the  arrival  of  the  train  but  would 
consider  it  the  ordinary  routine  railway 
business.  A  consultation  was  held,  and 

113 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

after  they  found  that  I  knew  the  contents 
of  the  message  I  had  brought,  they  admit- 
ted me  to  their  council.  They  asked  me  to 
get  the  Arequipena  ready,  and  they  and 
the  principal  officers  would  flee  to  Are- 
quipa.  I  told  them  that  such  a  course 
could  not  be  pursued,  as  all  the  telegraph 
offices  were  in  the  hands  of  the  insurgents, 
and  that  our  departure  would  become 
known,  the  engine  surrounded  and  all  tak- 
en prisoners.  They  agreed  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  escape  that  way,  and  decided 
that  about  midnight  they  would  escape  on 
horseback.  Just  then  an  officer  arrived  and 
reported  that  the  insurgents  had  taken 
possession  of  the  station,  and  two  engines, 
one  being  the  regular  passenger.  One  of 
the  engine  runners  had  been  taken  pris- 
oner. Their  spy  had  reported  that  it  was 
their  intention  to  take  both  engines  and 
several  coaches  loaded  with  soldiers  and 
arms ;  also,  large  quantities  of  powder  had 
been  put  on  the  Arequipena  for  the  pur- 
pose of  destroying  Sumbay  bridge — to  pre- 
vent the  passage  of  government  troops. 

114 


MURDEROUS  PLAN  OF  THE  INSURGENTS. 

I  was  forgotten  for  the  time  being,  their 
fear  for  their  own  safety  outweighing  all 
other  considerations.  Another  officer  came 
in  and  breathlessly  added  the  climax.  The 
regiment  of  regulars  had  joined  the  insur- 
gents ! 

I  was  now  doing  some  rapid  thinking.  If 
Sumbay  bridge  was  destroyed  and  the  fact 
not  known  in  Arequipa,  the  government 
troops  would  come  along  and,  with  the  en- 
gine crew,  be  hurled  into  eternity.  The 
bridge  being  about  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five feet  high  and  six  hundred  feet 
long  and  on  a  curve  with  deep  cuts  on 
either  side  and  a  heavy  down  grade,  it 
would  be  impossible  for  any  train  to  stop, 
unless  warned  beforehand. 

This  was  the  murderous  scheme  of  the 
insurgents. 

I  learned  it  was  the  intention  of  the  in- 
surgents to  proceed  to  Vincocaya  in  the 
morning,  destroy  as  they  went  along,  the 
telegraph  offices,  wait  at  Vincocaya  until 
the  arrival  of  the  regular  passenger  train 
from  Arequipa  and  then  proceed  to  Sum- 

115 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

bay  bridge.  They  evidently  had  calculated 
with  a  great  deal  of  precision,  and  if  their 
plans  carried,  victory  would  certainly  be 
theirs. 

All  these  things  were  filling  me  with  ap- 
prehension. I  knew  I  would  be  captured, 
but  how  could  I  save  the  bridge?  I  was 
determined  to  try  at  all  hazards. 


116 


XIV. 

FOE  THE  SAKE  OF  HUMANITY. 

' '  This  document  calls  for  the  payment  of 
$10,000,  and  guarantees  you  life  employ- 
ment by  the  government  of  Peru,  provided 
you  save  the  Sumbay  bridge,"  said  the 
prefecto  as  he  handed  me  a  paper  duly 
witnessed  by  the  priest. 

"No,  Senor,  I  cannot  accept  it,"  I  re- 
plied. "I  will  do  my  duty  for  the  sake  of 
humanity.  It  is  part  of  my  plan  to  be  cap- 
tured by  the  insurgents  and  should  that 
paper  be  found  on  my  person,  I  would  be 
shot  as  a  spy.  If  I  succeed  you  can  re- 
ward me." 

I  left  the  Prefecto  and  his  party,  wish- 
ing them  a  safe  journey,  and  sauntered 
carelessly  back  to  the  Inca  hotel.  I  entered 
smoking  a  cigar  and  wearing  a  look  of  un- 
concern, pretended  I  was  not  aware  of  any 
revolutionary  movement.  There  were  sev- 

117 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

eral  men  playing  billiards  in  the  parlors. 
I  took  a  chair  and  sat  down  to  watch  the 
players.  About  11  o'clock  I  asked  to  be 
shown  to  my  room,  and  retired,  knowing 
full  well  that  I  had  been  watched  by  a 
citizen  of  Puno  since  my  entrance  to  the 
hotel,  and  I  was  satisfied  I  would  soon  be 
taken  prisoner. 

About  2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  was 
awakened  from  a  restless  sleep  by  the 
entrance  of  twelve  men  armed  with  bare 
swords  and  revolvers.  They  were  all  talk- 
ing at  once.  I  sat  up  in  bed  and  appeared 
to  be  amazed.  The  leader  requested  me  to 
dress  and  accompany  him.  The  streets 
were  lined  with  people  shouting  the  old  fa- 
miliar cry,  "Viva  Pierola,"  as  I  was 
marched  in  the  center  of  this  crowd.  The 
cry  resounded  down  street  after  street.  The 
city  was  wild  with  excitement.  The  escape 
of  the  Prefecto  was  on  every  lip,  as  we 
turned  at  a  street  corner  and  to  the  sta- 
tion. We  had  great  difficulty  in  obtaining 
entrance,  but  a  passage  was  cleared  and  I 
was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  leader 


FOB  THE  SAKE  OF  HUMANITY. 

of  the  revolutionary  forces.  He  was  about 
fifty  years  of  age,  some  six  feet  in  heighth, 
and  powerfully  built,  but  with  a  counte- 
nance far  from  pleasing. 

With  little  ceremony,  I  was  notified  to 
get  the  Arequipena  ready  to  depart  from 
the  station  at  7  o  'clock  in  the  morning.  The 
principal  officers  would  go  with  her,  I  was 
told,  and  the  regular  train  would  follow 
with  the  troops. 

I  replied  that  as  a  British  subject  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  comply,  un- 
less force  was  used;  that  I  protested 
against  this  high-handed  proceeding.  I  did 
this  so  that,  in  the  future,  no  one  could 
accuse  me  of  aiding  the  rebels  willingly. 
He  replied  that  he  did  not  care  for  the  Brit- 
ish government,  that  I  would  do  as  I  was 
told  or  suffer  the  consequences.  They 
then  escorted  me  to  the  engine  house, 
where  I  found  my  fireman  Manuel  al- 
ready a  prisoner ;  also  Beaumont,  the  other 
engineer,  and  his  fireman. 

After  getting  the  engine  ready,  I  re- 
quested the  officer  in  charge  to  allow  us  to 

119 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

procure  something  to  eat.  His  permission 
was  given,  then  another  procession 
marched  through  the  streets  to  the  hotel, 
where  the  rebel  guards  stood  over  us  at 
breakfast. 

The  Arequipena  was  ready.  Behind 
were  the  passenger  engine  and  five 
coaches,  which  rebel  troops  were  already 
entering.  At  breakfast  I  had  managed  to 
get  a  few  words  with  Beaumont. 

As  the  Arequipena  was  to  go  ahead,  I 
would  endeavor  te  get  the  officers  out  to 
eat  at  Vincocaya.  I  would  give  a  signal 
for  him  to  uncouple  his  engine  and  follow 
at  full  speed.  It  would  be  impossible  to 
stop  him  and  they  would  be  at  the  mercy  of 
the  government  troops,  which  would  leave 
that  afternoon,  according  to  the  instruc- 
tions given  the  Pref ecto  of  Puno  from  Are- 
quipa. 

The  officers  came  aboard  the  little  Are- 
quipena and  loaded  on  several  barrels  of 
powder,  picks  and  shovels  to  destroy  the 
abutments  of  the  bridge. 

There   were   eleven   officers   who   came 


120 


FOR  THE  SAKE  OF  HUMANITY. 

aboard  the  coach,  when  to  my  surprise,  I 
beheld  along  with  three  soldiers,  Don  Rod- 
rigo  Garcia,  who  was  to  guard  me.  I  can- 
not describe  my  feelings.  I  know  I  am  not 
a  coward,  but  I  was  taken  with  a  shock  of 
nervousness.  It  was  not  of  long  duration 
Indignation  took  the  place  of  fear,  but  I 
realized  how  formidable  a  task  I  had  un- 
dertaken to  save  Sumbay  bridge.  Howbeit, 
I  determined  more  than  ever  to  succeed, 
and  the  knowledge  of  that  man  being  near 
me,  gave  me  renewed  courage. 

Before  starting  he  hissed  to  me :  ;  *  Don 
Juan,  we  meet  again. " 

I  did  not  answer.  It  was  all  I  could  do 
to  keep  from  attacking  him  despite  the  dis- 
advantage I  was  at.  The  thought  of  the 
bridge,  however,  restrained  any  hasty  ac- 
tion. 

We  left  the  station  with  the  troop  train 
closely  following.  According  to  orders,  our 
first  stop  would  be  at  Juliaca  station.  I 
knew  that  when  we  reached  there  the  tele- 
graph office  would  be  destroyed.  Telegraph 
communication  was  cut  off  between  Juliaca 


121 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

station  and  Puno.  Nearing  the  station,  we 
stopped  to  take  water  from  a  tank.  I  asked 
permission  from  the  leader  to  allow  my 
fireman  to  go  and  draw  some  oil,  explain- 
ing that  I  had  none  and  it  was  necessary, 
that  his  going  there  would  not  create  sus- 
picion, and  it  would  save  much  time.  I 
was  greatly  surprised  when  he  consented. 
I  took  a  small  piece  of  paper  and  wrote  the 
following  in  English:  "Van  Buren,  I  am 
coming  with  rebels  to  destroy  Sumbay 
bridge.  Hurry  up  troops.  Buchan. ' '  Aft- 
er writing,  I  read  aloud  in  Spanish :  ' '  Pro- 
cure from  Senor  Southers,  the  station  mas- 
ter, two  quarts  of  engine  oil  for  the  Are- 
quipena. ' '  I  handed  it  to  Manuel  who  un- 
derstood my  meaning.  He  took  the  engine 
cans  and  walked  to  the  office. 

My  heart  beat  rapidly.  I  fairly  held  my 
breath.  Would  he  be  able  to  see  Southers 
before  I  took  water?  Would  Southers  un- 
derstand my  meaning  and  get  the  message 
off  before  we  arrived  at  the  platform  and 
find  the  office  destroyed  ?  I  delayed  taking 
water  as  long  as  possible,  then  pulled  slow- 

122 


FOR  THE  SAKE  OF  HUMANITY. 

ly  down  the  track  to  the  platform.  The 
moment  we  stopped,  the  officers  rushed  in 
the  telegraph  office  and  disconnected  the 
instruments  from  the  wires.  Don  Rodrigo 
and  his  three  soldiers  never  left  me  for  a 
moment,  which  made  me  suspect  that  my 
every  movement  would  be  closely  watched. 

The  fireman  came  down  the  platform, 
both  engine  oil  cans  in  his  hands.  I  asked 
him  if  hie  had  seen  Southers.  He  replied 
that  he  had  and  that  everything  was  all 
right.  I  received  the  oil  and  looked  at  him. 
His  look  told  plainly  that  the  message  was 
sent.  I  felt  that  a  heavy  load  had  been 
lifted  and  breathed  freer.  I  looked  at  Don 
Rodrigo.  I  was  satisfied  that  in  a  short 
time  we  would  meet  in  a  struggle  that 
would  be  the  final  one  between  us. 

After  the  office  had  been  destroyed  we 
started  again,  the  troop  train  always  close 
behind  us.  We  stopped  at  Cabanillas,  Ma- 
ravillas  and  Santa  Lucia  and  carried  away 
their  telegraph  instruments;  then  we  ran 
direct  to  Vincocaya.  Arriving  there  the 
telegraph  office  suffered  like  the  others.  I 

123 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

pulled  down  in  front  of  the  hotel,  then  told 
the  officers  that  the  passenger  train  was 
due  in  an  hour,  and  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  proceed  until  its  arrival.  I 
showed  him  the  time  card  to  satisfy  him  I 
was  telling  the  truth,  and  remarked  that 
advantage  might  be  taken  of  the  time  by 
having  supper.  Accordingly  all  of  them, 
left  the  Arequipena  except  Don  Eodrigo 
and  the  three  soldiers.  The  officers  left 
their  arms  in  the  little  coach.  Now  was  the 
time  to  act.  Should  I  fail  now,  no  other 
chance  would  present  itself,  for,  after  the 
arrival  of  the  passenger  train,  the  only 
stop  would  be  at  Sumbay  bridge,  when  it 
would  be  too  late.  I  figured  that,  after 
Van  Buren  had  received  my  message  from 
Juliaca.the  troops  could  not  possibly  arrive 
at  Sumbay  bridge  before  eight  o'clock  that 
night.  It  was  four  o  'clock  when  we  reached 
Vincocaya  and  the  passenger  would  be 
leaving  Sumbay  station.  Pucacancha  was 
another  station  between  Sumbay  and  Vin- 
cocaya. The  grade  being  160  feet  to  the 
mile,  the  train  makes  very  slow  time  be- 

124 


FOR  THE  SAKE  OF  HUMANITY. 

tween  Sumbay  and  Pucacancha.  It  was  my 
only  hope  to  succeed  in  getting  to  Pucacan- 
cha  before  the  arrival  of  the  passenger 
train. 

I  was  nervous.  I  got  off  the  engine,  then 
called  to  Manuel  to  hand  me  another  oil 
can.  I  spoke  to  him  in  English  to  have 
everything  ready.  I  was  going  to  run 
away  with  the  engine — would  he  assist  me  I 
This  I  asked  while  I  was  pretending  to  oil 
the  engine,  and  I  had  to  trust  largely  to 
Manuel's  intuition,  as  he  knew  but  little 
English.  He  returned  to  the  engine  and 
raised  a  full  head  of  steam.  I  noticed  Don 
Rodrigo  watching  me  from  one  of  the  side 
doors  of  the  coach.  I  climbed  back  on  the 
engine  and  put  away  the  oil  can,  when  Rod- 
rigo said  with  a  significant  tone:  "My 
time  will  soon  come  when  I  can  avenge  the 
insult  I  received  at  Tiavaya." 

I  did  not  answer.  I  knew  his  meaning. 
When  my  services  were  no  longer  required, 
he  would,  with  his  cowardly  instinct,  de- 
vise a  means  to  kill  me.  The  three  sol- 
diers were  a  fair  sample  of  the  poor  igno- 

125 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

rant  Peruvians.  They  were  armed  with 
breech-loading  rifles  of  French  pattern, 
bayonets  fixed.  After  Eodrigo  had  mut- 
tered his  threat,  he  went  into  the  little 
coach,  sitting  directly  behind  me,  and 
could,  by  his  position,  observe  every  move 
I  made.  Manuel  was  standing  on  the  left 
watching  me.  Although  I  had  endeavored 
to  make  him  understand,  he  was  not  aware 
of  my  plans.  I  looked  back  and  saw  the 
troop  train  taking  water  at  the  tank.  I 
looked  at  Manuel,  and  he  understood  "the 
time  had  come." 

AVith  my  left  hand,  I  threw  the  throttle 
wide  open  and  with  my  right  blew  the  sig- 
nal agreed  upon.  With  a  prayer  to  God  I 
threw  myself  upon  the  nearest  soldier. 


126 


XV. 

IN  DESPERATE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

Don  Rodrigo  and  his  soldiers  were  sur- 
prised. I  dealt  the  one  nearest  me  a  terri- 
fic blow  in  the  face.  Don  Rodrigo  raised 
his  hand  to  fire.  I  knocked  his  gun  from 
his  hand.  The  other  soldier  thrust  at  me 
with  his  bayonet,  inflicting  a  severe  scalp 
wound,  which  along  with  another  thrust  at 
me  with  his  bayonet  in  my  left  arm,  gave 
him  time  to  recover.  I  struck  the  soldier  in 
the  face,  and  knocked  him  to  the  floor.  The 
other  was  coming  at  me,  when  Mauel, 
armed  with  a  shovel,  brought  it  down  with 
terrific  force  on  his  head. 

By  this  time  the  engine  was  going  at 
lightning  speed,  having  reached  a  down 
grade  of  160  feet  to  the  mile.  The  throt- 
tle was  wide  open.  I  knew  we  would  soon 
reach  some  sharp  curves  and  if  the  speed 
was  not  checked,  the  engine  would  jump 

127 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

the  track.  I  called  to  Manuel  to  shut  off 
the  steam,  and  apply  the  brakes.  At  this 
time  I  was  struggling  with  Don  Rodrigo 
for  life  or  death.  We  had  clinched  one  an- 
other. I  spoke  once. 

' '  Becuerdo  Felicita, ' '  I  hissed  in  his  ear. 

He  did  not  speak.  He  was  never  a  phy- 
sical match  for  me,  but  at  this  moment  he 
seemed  endowed  with  superhuman 
strength.  His  face  took  on  the  awful  look 
of  desperation,  that  comes  to  men  when 
death  seems  near  at  hand.  His  lithe  body 
struggled  to  be  free  of  my  grasp.  He  tried 
to  trip  me  and  just  then  the  engine  rounded 
a  sharp  curve  causing  him  to  stagger.  The 
side  door  of  the  coach  was  open.  For  a 
moment  he  vainly  tried  to  catch  hold  of 
something,  and  then,  with  a  shriek  upon  his 
lips,  fell  from  the  speeding  coach. 

The  struggle  had  lasted  but  a  short  time, 
but  it  had  seemed  to  me  hours.  Manuel  ban- 
daged my  head  and  arm.  The  two  soldiers 
remained  perfectly  passive,  suffering  from 
severe  blows.  The  one  felled  by  Manuel 
was  still  unconscious. 


128 


IN  DESPERATE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

We  were  within  three  miles  of  Pucacan- 
cha,  rounding  a  sharp  curve,  when  I  looked 
back  and  exclaimed:  "My  God,  Manuel, 
the  troop  train  is  coming ! ' '  My  blood  al- 
most froze,  but  realizing  that  this  was  no 
time  for  fright,  I  determined  to  master  the 
situation. 

I  knew  the  two  soldiers  would  not  at- 
tempt to  molest  us.  They  had  learned  a 
lesson.  I  looked  at  my  watch.  In  five  min- 
utes the  passenger,  if  on  time,  would  be  at 
Pucacancha.  The  troop  train  could  not 
reach  there  for  fifteen  minutes,  because  at 
all  obscure  places  it  would  have  to  go  slow 
for  fear  of  meeting  obstructions  on  the 
track. 

I  reached  Pucacancha,  stopping  far 
enough  back  to  allow  the  passenger  to  pull 
up  and  back  on  the  side  track.  The  siding 
had  only  one  switch,  chiefly  used  for  bal- 
last for  the  road  bed.  I  looked  anxiously 
for  the  pasenger.  Seconds  dragged  like 
hours.  Would  she  never  come  ?  There  was 
a  curve  not  far  from  the  station,  and  the 
passenger  could  not  be  seen  until  it  almost 


129 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

reached  it.  I  listened.  I  could  hear  the 
low  tremulous  noise  of  the  rails,  a  puff  of 
black  smoke  went  up  from  behind  the 
curve — at  last  it  was  in  view,  engine  No.  8. 
On  seeing  me  the  engineer  came  to  a  sud- 
den stop.  I  hurriedly  told  him  what  to  do. 
He  was  to  back  onto  the  siding  and  let  me 
pass,  then  pull  out  and  follow  me  back  to 
Pampa  de  Avieras,  where  I  told  him  the 
government  troops  would  surely  be.  Our 
plans  were  quickly  executed.  I  determined 
that  should  the  troop  train  come  before  I 
could  get  by  the  passenger,  Manuel  and  I 
would  desert  the  Arequipena,  start  her 
back  with  a  full  head  of  steam,  and  cause  a 
collision.  No  doubt  there  would  have  been 
loss  of  life,  but  it  would  have  given  an  op- 
portunity to  escape  by  going  on  the  passen- 
ger train. 

Dobbie,  the  engineer,  succeeded  well  in 
backing  into  the  clear.  Not  seeing  the 
troop  train,  I  ran  with  a  hammer  and  spike 
when  he  left  the  switch  with  the  Arequi- 
pena ahead  of  him  and  spiked  the  track. 
Just  then  the  troop  train  came  in  sight.  I 

130 


IN  DESPERATE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

hurriedly  boarded  the  Arequipena  and 
started,  Dobbie  backing  up  at  fast  as  he 
could. 

There  were  several  officers  on  the  engine 
of  the  troop  train,  and  when  they  saw  us 
they  compelled  the  engineer  to  increase 
his  speed,  with  the  result  he  could  not 
check  his  train  in  time  to  stop  it  from  run- 
ning into  the  switch.  His  engine  jumped 
the  track  half  burying  itself  in  the  ground. 

We  arrived  at  Pampa  de  Avieras  and  the 
government  troops  came  thirty  minutes 
later.  I  was  beginning  to  get  weak  from 
loss  of  blood.  My  left  arm  seemed  to  be  a 
dead  weight,  and  the  muscles  were  painful 
and  swollen.  The  people  from  the  passen- 
ger train  crowded  about  me  and  did  every- 
thing in  their  power  to  relieve  my  suffer- 
ing. The  soldier  who  had  been  struck  with 
the  shovel  came  out  of  his  stupor. 

I  was  lying  in  the  coach  of  the  Arequi- 
pena, when  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
government  troops  came  to  see  me.  After 
detailing  the  story  to  him,  I  turned  over 
fourteen  rifles,  ten  revolvers,  and  seven 

131 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW     , 

swords,  all  the  cartridges  and  barrels  of 
powder,  together  with  the  three  soldiers 
whom  I  pleaded  for,  stating  that  compul- 
sion was  the  cause  of  their  joining  the  in- 
surgents. I  insisted  on  their  hurrying  to 
Sumbay  bridge,  although  I  told  him  they 
did  not  have  anything  now  with  which  to 
destroy  the  bridge.  However,  they  could 
post  their  troops  should  they  arrive  first 
and  be  in  position  to  command  the  ap- 
proaches. After  leaving  me,  he  ordered 
his  troops  forward. 

I  was  getting  weaker  and  weaker.  At 
last  orders  came  to  go  to  Arequipa  with  the 
Arequipena.  The  station  master  tele- 
graphed to  have  a  doctor  ready  for  me  on 
my  arrival.  It  was  nearly  forty  miles  from 
Pampa  de  Avieras  to  Arequipa,  mostly 
down  grade.  I  had  to  give  the  engine  up 
to  Manuel,  as  the  pain  in  my  arm  became 
so  intense  I  had  to  lie  down.  The  station 
at  Arequipa  was  crowded  back  to  the 
street.  The  news  having  been  telegraphed 
by  the  officer  in  command  of  the  govern- 
ment troops.  I  could  hear  cries  of  "Viva 

132 


IN  DESPERATE  STRUGGLE   FOR   LIFE. 

Juancita ! ' '  that  being  my  name  in  Spanish. 

The  people  in  Arequipa  were  loyal  to  the 
existing  government.  The  general  mana- 
ger met  me  with  the  doctor.  His  eyes  were 
full  of  tears  when  he  saw  me.  I  presented 
a  horrible  and  bloody  appearance,  the 
wound  in  my  head  still  bleeding,  my  left 
arm  in  a  sling  and  my  clothes  almost  in 
rags. 

I  was  carried  from  the  coach  by  four  of 
my  friends  to  my  room  where  the  faithful 
Chico  had  everything  prepared.  Cries  of 
"Viva  Juancita!"  rent  the  air  from  the 
time  1  left  the  coach  until  the  doctor  re- 
quested silence.  Manuel  was  taken  home 
by  his  friends.  The  poor  people,  ignorant 
of  the  revolution,  but  knowing  by  the  de- 
monstration that  something  unusual  had 
happened,  realized  that  he  had  done  some- 
thing deserving  recognition. 

My  friends  grouped  about  with  tear- 
dimmed  eyes,  and  warmly  pressed  my 
hand.  Chico,  looking  at  me  with  a  most 
sympathetic  expression  on  his  Indian  fea- 

133 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

tures,  did  not  restrain  his  tears.  For  days 
I  tossed  in  pain  and  delirium. 

One  day  when  the  general  manager 
came,  he  told  me  that  another  engineer  who 
had  taken  out  the  Arequipena  to  repair  the 
telegraph,  came  up  with  a  body  of  the  in- 
surgents who  were  going  to  surrender,  but 
they  intended  to  kill  him  first  thinking  he 
was  I.  Only  the  timely  interposition  of 
one  who  knew  him,  saved  his  life.  The  in- 
surgents had  got  their  engine  back  on  the 
track  after  much  time  and  labor,  but  it 
was  damaged  and  as  they  were  out  of 
water,  they  gave  up  hope  of  winning  their 
cause. 

The  train  bearing  the  government  troops 
stopped  when  within  a  few  niilcs  of  VTiuco- 
caya,  where  they  picked  up  the  body  of  Don 
Kodrigo  Garcia  and  buried  it  near  the 
track.  He  would  have  exulted  over  my 
death,  but  I  cannot  say  that  I  felt  any  sat- 
isfaction because  he  was  dead.  It  only 
brought  sad  memories  of  the  past. 


134 


XVI. 

THE  SCREAMING  WINDS  OF  NIGHT. 

I  sat  on  the  broad  balcony  of  the  British 
consulate  at  Mollendo,  looking  out  over  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Pacific.  The  soft  breeze 
from  the  south  seas  imparted  the  glow  of 
health.  How  proud  I  felt  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  no  one  dared  insult  me  beneath 
the  blue  and  crimson  folds  that  waved 
above.  Safe  from  the  assassin's  knife  at 
the  hands  of  some  of  Pierola's  men,  of 
whom  I  had  been  warned,  I  felt  a  certain 
refuge  beneath  the  ensign  of  my  country. 

'  *  Don  Juan,  does  that  make  me  a  Brit- 
isher, too  ? ' '  asked  Manuel,  pointing  to  the 
flag  above. 

"Yes,  it  protects  you  too.  Pierola's 
men  do  not  dare  to  harm  us  here  " 

"Praised  be  the  Virgin,"  replied  Man- 
uel, crossing  himself. 

The  great  bells  of  the  cathedral  tolled 

135 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

out  a  funeral  knell  as  a  solemn  procession 
marched  to  a  transport  ship.  They  were 
dust  covered,  haggard  men,  with  a  hunted 
look,  chained  in  pairs.  On  either  side 
marched  a  file  of  soldiers  with  fixed  bayo- 
nets. Pierola's  men  were  being  taken  to 
Lima. 

I  arose  from  the  balcony  and  went  in- 
side. They  had  to  pass  under  the  balcony 
of  the  British  consulate  to  reach  the  wharf. 
I  did  not  care  to  witness  their  misery  and 
so  remained  indoors  until  their  departure. 
The  revolution  over  there  was  nothing  now 
to  fear ;  Manuel  packed  my  belongings  and 
we  returned  to  Arequipa. 

The  general  manager  requested  me  to 
take  care  of  the  shops  of  Vincocaya.  It 
would  enable  me  to  be  quiet  and  recover 
from  my  wounds,  as  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  to  see  that  the  work  was  kept  going. 
Meanwhile  the  excitement  of  the  revolution 
would  die  out. 

Vincocaya  is  situated  high  in  the  Andes, 
above  timber  line,  a  desolate  and  dreary 
waste  of  rock  and  crag,  where  wild  winds 

136 


THE  SCREAMING   WINDS   OF   NIGHT. 

scream  among  the  cliffs  in  the  blackness  of 
the  night,  as  though  a  thousand  imprisoned 
Joshuas  were  reaching  upward  for  that 
sun  which  will  stand  still  no  more  over  the 
plains  of  Ajalon.  Leaden  clouds  drift  like 
winding  sheets  among  the  peaks  and  hover 
like  a  pall  over  canon  and  deep  ravine. 
The  grave  of  Don  Rodrigo  was  but  a  few 
miles  distant,  but  I  never  visited  it.  There 
have  been  times  when  I  regretted  not 
stretching  forth  my  hand  to  save  him,  but 
at  the  time,  with  a  most  violent  hatred  of 
the  man  and  the  many  injuries  I  had  re- 
ceived from  him,  and  the  attempt  to  save 
the  bridge  foremost  in  my  mind,  I  found 
excuse  for  lack  of  the  finer  feelings.  And, 
too,  what  would  it  benefit  had  he  been 
saved?  His  life  was  spent  in  debauchery, 
the  gambling  table  and  plots  to  overthrow 
any  government  where  a  leader  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  ruling  power  would  promise  him 
a  political  office. 

Deep  down  in  my  heart  I  felt  the  weight 
of  the  past;  those  shrieking  winds  of  the 
night  were  the  responsive  echoes  of  my 

137 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

soul  for  the  loved  and  lost.  Was  it  upon 
this  planet  or  upon  some  distant  sphere 
that  we  two  had  met  and  loved  and  builded 
hopes  as  high  as  the  lofty  peaks  that  now 
entombed  me — hope  and  love  that  may 
have  been  breathed  in  the  morning  of  the 
world  when  the  spirit  of  God  dwelt  within 
us — hope  that  existed  before  the  wrathful 
change  that  shattered  all  and  turned  an 
Eden  into  blackness  and  despair? 

Days,  weeks  and  months  passed.  Often 
I  would  spend  hours  in  the  wild  solitudes 
hunting  the  vicuna  and  alpaca,  or  in  some 
gloomy  canon  communing  with  myself. 
Within  my  spirit  I  could  hear  an  under- 
tone, "Why  cast  thyself  on  waters  wild, 
believing  that  God  is  gone,  that  love  is 
dead  and  Nature  spurns  her  child?"  So, 
from  my  grief,  I  arose  at  length  to  feel  new 
life  returning.  New  hopes  and  ambitions 
sprang  forth  in  my  soul  that  had  so  keenly 
felt  God's  chastening  rod. 

A  year  had  passed.  I  was  in  Arequipa. 
Chico  had  my  room  ready  and  my  friends 
gave  me  a  splendid  banquet  in  one  of  the 

138 


THE  SCREAMING   WINDS   OF   NIGHT. 

largest  restaurants  in  the  city.  In  all  ages 
the  world  has  had  two  ways  of  doing  honor 
to  a  man.  One  is  by  parade,  the  other  by 
setting  him  down  to -a  banquet  table  and 
making  speeches  about  him  until  they  over- 
crowd his  emotions  and  leave  him  limp  and 
speechless.  I  had  to  pass  through  this  or- 
deal. The  Prefectos  of  Arequipa  and 
Puno,  the  Commanding  General  of  the  Gov- 
ernment troops,  the  manager  and  officials 
of  the  railway  and  a  host  of  friends  of  les- 
ser note,  but  none  the  less  loyal  hearts, 
crowded  the  banquet  room.  They  feasted, 
drank  wine,  sang  songs  and  made  speeches 
to  me  and  about  me  that  were  enough  to 
have  satisfied  the  vanity  of  a  survivor  of 
Thennopolae.  At  the  close,  the  Prefecto 
of  Puno  arose,  and  after  saying  things  that 
were  loudly  applauded,  presented  me  with 
ten  thousand  dollars  not  as  a  gift,  but  as 
something  I  had  justly  earned.  He  was 
followed  by  the  general  manager  of  the 
railroad,  who  said  his  company  desired  to 
show  their  appreciation  of  my  conduct  in 
the  Sumbay  bridge  affair,  and  on  their  be- 


139 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

half  he  presented  me  with  two  thousand 
dollars.  Manuel,  too,  came  in  for  his  share 
of  honors  and  praise.  He  was  presented 
witl.  five  hundred  dollars  by  the  Prefecto 
of  Puno  and  two  hundred  dollars  by  the 
company — more  money  than  he  had  ever 
seen  in  his  life,  or  ever  hoped  to  possess. 
Deserving  fellow,  his  eyes  streamed  with 
tears  of  joy  and  gratitude  when  he  re- 
ceived the  money  which  would  now  enable 
him  to  own  a  comfortable  home.  His  pleas- 
ure was  even  greater  the  next  day,  when  I 
gave  him  one  thousand  dollars. 

A  month  later,  and  Arequipa  was  wild 
with  excitement.  War  had  been  declared 
by  Chile  against  allied  Peru  and  Bolivia. 
It  was  a  sad  blow,  as  Peru  had  been  ex- 
tremely prosperous  and  was  rapidly  forg- 
ing ahead  in  the  commerce  of  the  world.  I 
had  concluded  to  leave  the  country  and 
seek  some  other  field,  when  a  call  was 
made  to  the  railroad  men  to  assist  the  gov- 
ernment to  convey  troops  from  the  interior 
to  the  coast.  I  responded  and  was  sent  to 
Santa  Rosa  on  the  proposed  railway  to 

140 


THE  SCREAMING   WINDS   OF   NIGHT. 

Cusco,  the  ancient  capital  of  Peru.  Here 
a  great  number  of  Indians  were  huddled 
together  to  be  sent  to  Arequipa,  and  drilled 
and  sent  to  the  coast.  They  were  abject 
and  disconsolate.  The  priests  were  calling 
on  them  to  be  brave  and  return  victorious. 
These  people  had  never  seen  the  ocean  and 
had  never  lived  in  an  altitude  of  less  than 
two  miles.  There  was  much  suffering  in 
store  for  them  under  the  tropic  sun  of  the 
coast.  I  asked  an  officer  if  he  thought 
these  men  would  make  good  soldiers.  He 
replied  with  an  air  of  great  importance, 
and  looking  quite  serious,  that  he  had  re- 
ceived word  that  the  Chilean  navy  was 
coming  to  bombard  Mollendo,  and  it  was 
his  intention  to  instruct  the  Indians  in  the 
use  of  the  rifle.  When  the  ships  came  near 
enough,  he  would  station  his  men  among 
the  rocks  and  shoot  the  sailors  off  the 
decks.  This,  too,  with  flint  lock  rifles — a 
sample  of  the  calibre  of  the  Peruvian  offi- 
cer of  the  interior  and  his  unfortunate  In- 
dian soldiers. 
After  getting  to  the  head  of  the  Tambo 

141 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

valley,  I  proceeded  to  Mollendo  and  found 
a  terrible  state  of  affairs.  Everyone  was 
expecting  the  Chilean  fleet;  men  and  wo- 
men were  carrying  their  houshold  goods 
to  the  mountains.  At  sight  of  every  ship 
on  the  horizon,  whether  sailing  vessel  or 
steamer,  a  cry  would  go  forth — "They 
come — they  come!"  The  greatest  confu- 
sion prevailed.  There  was  no  organiza- 
tion, no  discipline ;  everybody  for  himself, 
and  all  running  at  the  cry  of — "They 
come ! ' ' 

One  morning  about  ten  o'clock  the  hos- 
tile fleet  did  come. 


142 


XVII. 

THE  BARBARIAN  MEETS  HIS  INGOMAR. 

A  heavy  fog  was  clearing  from  the  sea, 
when  from  out  of  the  mist  rose  the  black 
hull  and  conning  tower  of  the  Cochrane. 
The  senior  officers  of  the  flagship  stood 
grouped  on  the  starboard  rail.  The  wind 
changed  suddenly  to  the  west,  and,  as  it 
changed,  it  rolled  up  patches  of  the  fog  and 
revealed  the  black  hull  and  conning  tower 
of  the  Enlado.  A  heavy  cloud  of  smoke 
poured  from  their  funnels;  decks  cleared 
for  action  when  they  should  put  into  prac- 
tice the  desperate  objects  of  their  exist- 
ence. 

A  boat  was  lowered  from  the  flagship 
and  rowed  to  the  wharf  of  Mollendo  by 
sturdy  Chileans,  while  an  officer  bore  a 
message  to  the  Prefecto  for  all  noncombat- 
ants  to  leave  the  city,  as  bombardment 
would  begin  in  an  hour. 

143 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

As  the  boat  was  leaving,  it  was  fired 
upon.  Then  the  ear-splitting  reports  which 
followed  showed  how  the  flagship  took  this 
breach  of  the  rules  of  war.  There  was  the 
rushing  swishing  sound,  the  terrifying 
screech  of  projectiles  passing  through  the 
air,  followed  by  terrific  explosions  and  the 
crash  of  falling  buildings. 

In  the  city,  pandemonium  reigned.  Men 
and  women  with  blanched  faces,  were  flee- 
ing to  the  hills.  Others  threw  themselves 
upon  the  ground,  too  terror-stricken  to 
move.  I  heard  a  voice  at  my  elbow  calling 
in  English.  It  was  the  voice  of  a  woman, 
young  and  fair.  "This  way,"  said  I,  and 
we  hurried  toward  the  massive  rock  from 
whose  summit  I  had  watched  the  battle  of 
the  Huascar  and  Amythist  two  years  be- 
fore. 

"We  are  safe  now,"  I  said,  as  we  stood 
behind  the  thousands  of  tons  of  granite, 
' '  safe  as  if  we  were  behind  the  rock  of  Gi- 
braltar. ' ' 

4 '  Oh,  mother,  sister  and  Mr.  Robinson- 
heaven  help  them  at  this  hour!"  she  ex- 

144 


THE    BARBARIAN    MEETS    HIS    INGOMAR. 

claimed.  A  shell  struck  a  stone  building 
and  exploded  by  impact;  fragments 
screamed  like  a  panther  in  the  air. 

The  young  woman's  face  was  blanched 
to  a  death-like  pallor,  but  she  was  calm, 
and,  kneeling  by  my  side,  she  asked  God  to 
help  us.  Aloud  she  prayed,  a  beautiful, 
impressive  prayer,  one  that  must  have 
gone  straight  to  the  throne  of  heaven  and 
received  its  answer,  for  soon  the  wind 
shifted  and  those  belching  volcanoes  of  the 
sea  were  curtained  by  the  fog;  the  firing 
ceased. 

We  hurried  to  her  home  amid  scenes  of 
desolation  and  confusion.  Her  family  was 
safe  and,  to  my  surprise,  the  Mr.  Eobinson 
she  had  spoken  of  was  an  employe  of  our 
railway,  who  had  but  lately  arrived  from 
the  United  States  and  to  whom  I  had  been 
introduced  a  few  days  before. 

The  bombardment  was  now  over,  but  the 
human  wolves  began  to  sack  the  city.  Fire 
was  raging  in  some  quarters  and  burned 
far  into  the  night.  It  lit  the  streets  with  a 
lurid  glare ;  its  red  light  fell  upon  motion- 

145 


less  figures  in  the  dust,  and  scurrying 
forms,  bent  beneath  their  weight  of 
plunder. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  anxious  to  send  his 
family  to  Arequipa,  and  I  lent  them  all  pos- 
sible assistance,  receiving  their  heartfelt 
thanks.  They  were  in  a  strange  land,  not 
even  knowing  the  language  of  the  country. 
Hattie,  the  young  woman  I  had  met,  was 
the  sister-in-law  of  Mr.  Robinson.  Mrs. 
Eobinson  and  her  mother,  an  aged  woman, 
were  disappointed  with  Peru  and  were 
glad  to  get  away  from  the  theatre  of  war. 

I  met  the  Indian  soldiers  the  next  day, 
and  the  officer  commanding  was  very  in- 
dignant at  his  superior  for  not  allowing 
him  to  go  to  the  rocks  at  Mollendo  and 
pick  off  the  gunners  from  the  battle  ships, 
with  flint  lock  rifles. 

I  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  home  of 
the  Robinson  family  in  Arequipa,  with 
whom  I  had  now  become  well  acquainted.  It 
was  strange  to  my  ears  to  hear  them  all 
talk  English,  for  seldom  had  I  heard  my 
own  language  spoken  by  women.  The  old 

146 


THE    BARBARIAN    MEETS    HIS    INGOMAR. 

lady  was  one  of  those  quiet,  sweet,  mother- 
ly women.  Once  introduced  to  her,  it 
seemed  one  had  always  known  her.  The 
whole  family  was  the  happiest  and  most 
cheerful  I  had  ever  met.  Hattie  Judson 
became  school  teacher  to  the  English  and 
American  children  in  Arequipa,  and  her 
gentle  ways  soon  won  the  hearts  of  all.  I 
enjoyed  taking  her  to  the  theatre  and  other 
places  of  amusement,  because  of  her  bright 
conversation  and  high  ideals.  From  her 
I  began  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  nobler 
things  of  life,  things  that  to  me,  being  but 
poorly  educated  and  in  a  foreign  land,  had 
been  denied.  She  was  a  sweet  singer  and 
an  excellent  performer  on  the  piano,  and 
somehow  when  she  sang  I  was  able  to  un- 
derstand the  soul-reaching  depths  of  the 
melody. 

There  was  company  at  the  house  one 
night,  when  I  heard  her  sing  for  the  first 
time  "Coming  Thro'  the  Rye."  My  soul 
floated  back  to  Bonnie  Scotland,  as  when  a 
boy  I  saw  the  waving  fields  of  grain,  the 
cows  in  the  barnyard,  and  the  lassies  com- 

147 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

ing  down  the  path  from  school ;  my  mother 
with  the  willow  basket,  bringing  in  the 
clothes  from  the  line,  and  father  smoking 
his  pipe  by  the  well — scenes  that  never- 
more would  return. 

In  our  walks  in  the  shaded  dells  of  the 
mountains,  she  often  told  me  of  the  United 
States,  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  peo- 
ple— how  ambitions  and  aspirations  were 
rewarded  when  accompanied  by  virtue  and 
industry.  Of  the  history  of  Peru  she  knew 
far  more  than  I.  It  was  interesting  to  hear 
from  her  lips  the  strange  stories  of  the 
conquering  Pizzaro  hosts,  whose  mailed 
heels  had  once  trod  the  ground  we  walked, 
and  clanked  the  knell  of  a  fallen  empire. 

My  school  had  been  the  school  of  adver- 
sity. I  had  grown  up  with  men  who  knew 
or  cared  little  for  the  finer  sensibilities.  I 
felt  that  her  standards  of  life  were  super- 
ior to  mine.  Her  loyalty  to  God  and  holy 
charity  toward  the  humblest  soul,  bent  my 
spirit  to  profound  respect.  She  was  one 
who  could  see  all  there  was  of  good  in  man- 
kind and  could  measure  the  product  of 

148 


THE    BARBARIAN    MEETS    HIS    INGOMAR. 

one 's  powers  and  give  them  impulse  and  di- 
rection. In  my  soul  I  bowed  to  the  fair 
graces  of  her  character.  Each  day  we  met 
I  found  in  her  some  new  wealth  of  noble 
thoughts  that  created  higher  ideals  in  my 
own  untutored  mind. 

As  time  went  on,  fiercer  rose  the  mad- 
dening cries  of  war.  I  felt  the  hot  blood 
surge  in  my  veins  and  I  longed  to  be  at  the 
front,  amid  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the 
clash  of  arms. 

We  were  walking  in  a  grove  beneath  the 
swift  glimmer  of  the  tropical  twilight, 
when  I  told  her  that  I  felt  it  my  duty  to 
fight  for  the  land  that  had  been  the  home 
of  my  youth  for  so  many  years,  and  showed 
her  a  letter  in  which  I  was  offered  an  offi- 
cer's commission  on  the  Huascar.  She  laid 
her  hand  on  my  arm  and  said,  ' '  There  are 
nobler  things  in  life  than  the  shedding  of 
the  blood  of  fellow  men.  The  youth  of  the 
world  goes  out  to  fight  for  the  empty  glory 
of  another's  crown.  It  is  not  on  the  field  of 
carnage  that  greatest  honors  are  won,  but 
in  the  nobler,  more  peaceful  pursuits  of 

149 


WHEBE  STKONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

life,  doing  good  and  becoming  leaders  of 
men  and  preventing  war,  that  one  wins  the 
royal  diadem  of  him  who  said,  '  peace  on 
earth,  good  will  to  men.'  " 

As  she  spoke  in  earnest  eloquence,  I 
could  have  knelt  and  worshipped  her.  Her 
delicate  cheeks  were  flushed,  and  her  eyes 
were  filled  with  tears. 

No  words  of  love  had  yet  been  spoken, 
but  the  Barbarian  knew  and  felt  that  he 
had  met  his  Ingomar. 


150 


XVIII. 

ON   SUNNY  SEAS  BOUND   NORTH. 

I  met  Mr.  Robinson  on  the  street  one 
day,  bleeding  from  a  wound  on  his  face. 
He  said  that  Mr.  Wood,  superintendent  of 
our  railway,  had  struck  him.  Two  of  Mr. 
Wood's  children  were  attending  Miss  Jud- 
son's  school,  and  on  account  of  the  official 
position  of  their  father,  behaved  in  an  ugly 
manner.  Miss  Judson  made  complaint  to 
the  school  board,  which  exasperated  Mr. 
Wood  and  he  demanded  her  resignation. 
This  the  board  would  not  permit.  He  called 
Mr.  Robinson  to  his  office  and  dismissed 
him  from  the  service  of  the  company.  Be- 
ing requested  by  Mr.  Robinson  to  give  his 
reasons  for  his  dismissal,  he  struck  him. 

I  was  angry  to  think  a  young  man  would 
so  brutally  use  a  man  of  Mr.  Robinson's 
age,  and,  too,  in  a  strange  country.  Before 
I  could  restrain  myself  I  demanded  his  rea- 

151 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

son  for  striking  Mr.  Robinson.  Mr.  Wood 
replied  in  a  haughty  manner  that  he  was 
not  accustomed  to  account  for  his  acts.  I 
replied:  " Perhaps  not,  but  when  one  of 
your  position  and  age  so  far  forgets  him- 
self as  to  strike  an  old  man,  any  respect 
you  may  be  entitled  to  is  dispelled  by  your 
cowardly  act." 

For  a  moment  it  looked  serious.     He 
raised  his  hand  as  if  to  strike  me.    I  said : 
1  'Mr.  Wood,  if  you  attempt  to  go  any  far- 
ther I  will  certainly  be  a  far  different  an- 
tagonist than  Mr.  Robinson,  and  teach  you 
that  some  of  your  acts,  at  least,  will  be  re- 
warded in  a  manner  not  to  your  liking." 
He  knew  he  had  gone  too  far,  and  said  in  a 
quieter  tone,  that  he  did  not  consider  the 
affair  any  of  my  business. 

"Mr.  Robinson  is  an  American;  let  his 
countrymen  investigate  this  matter.  I  will 
deal  with  them. ' ' 

"Mr.  Wood,"  I  replied,  "I  hope  the  time 
will  never  come  when  a  Briton  will  so  far 
forget  his  duty  as  not  to  go  to  the  assist- 

152 


ON   SUNNY  SEAS  BOUND   NORTH. 

ance  of  any  family,  irrespective  of  nation- 
ality." 

At  this  moment  some  other  shop  men 
came  in,  loud  in  their  denunciation  of  Mr. 
Wood.  There  is  something  that  binds  a 
Britisher  and  an  American  when  they  are 
away  from  their  respective  countries,  and 
among  strangers.  On  many  occasions  I 
have  seen  the  Britisher  and  American  ar- 
gue and  even  quarrel  over  the  merits  of 
their  countries  but  when  serious  trouble 
arose,  all  jealousies  would  be  cast  aside, 
and  each  one  would  endeavor  to  outdo  the 
other  in  kindness. 

That  night  an  indignation  meeting  was 
held  in  a  large  building  formerly  used  as  a 
storeroom.  The  employes  all  knew  the  rea- 
son of  Mr.  Wood's  attack  on  Mr.  Robinson. 
Although  the  majority  of  them  were  work- 
ing under  Mr.  Wood,  they  felt  the  indignity 
inflicted  on  Mr.  Robinson  was  an  insult  to 
them  all,  most  of  them  having  children  at- 
tending the  school. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  school,  Mr. 
Wood  had  tried  to  dominate  it.  This  was 


153 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

another  reason  for  the  employes'  griev- 
ances and,  chief  of  all,  they  were  now  being 
paid  in  the  depreciated  currency  of  the 
country.  The  meeting  was  conducted  in  a 
quiet  business  manner.  The  sentiment  was 
to  strike  until  Mr.  Wood  was  removed  from 
office. 

I  told  the  men  that  that  would  be  an  in- 
justice, as  the  general  manager  was  in 
Lima  and  we  had  no  one  to  appeal  to. 
Therefore  we  should  continue  to  work  un- 
til we  could  communicate  with  him.  This 
appeal  had  the  desired  effect,  as  all  could 
see  the  injury  our  strike  would  inflict  on 
the  railway. 

I  was  then  selected  as  the  representative 
of  the  employes  to  go  to  Lima  and  lay  the 
matter  before  the  general  manager.  I  was 
about  to  start  when  I  was  handed  a  note 
from  the  superintendent,  saying  that  my 
services  were  no  longer  required.  I  replied 
that  I  would  receive  my  orders  from  his 
superior  and  proceeded  on  my  journey. 

At  Lima  I  succeeded  in  reinstating  Mr. 
Eobinson,  and  shortly  after  my  return  to 

154 


ON   SUNNY  SEAS   BOUND   NORTH. 

Arequipa,  Mrs.  Robinson  died.  Grief  at  the 
injury  inflicted  upon  her  husband  and  a 
feeling  of  friendlessness  in  a  foreign  land, 
had  hastened  her  end.  Another  indignation 
meeting  was  held  and  Mr.  Wood  was  dis- 
missed from  the  service  of  the  company. 
Mr.  Robinson  became  despondent  and  after 
a  few  months  decided  to  leave  the  country. 

The  war  with  Chili  was  still  on.  The 
Peruvian  army  suffered  defeat  after  de- 
feat. Her  navy  had  made  some  show  of 
success  at  first,  but  not  after  the  terrible 
fight  between  the  Huascar,  and  two  Chili 
ironclads,  in  which  the  Peruvians  lost.  The 
currency  of  the  country  became  practically 
worthless.  My  accummulation  of  years  was 
almost  swept  away. 

Mr.  Robinson  decided  to  return  to  their 
home  in  San  Louis  Obispo,  California,  and 
about  this  time  I  received  an  offer  from  the 
Peruvian  government  to  bring  a  torpedo 
boat  from  Panama  to  Mollendo.  The 
Robinson  family  were  going  north  on  the 
steamer  which  would  carry  me  to  Panama. 
On  leaving,  our  friends  gave  us  a  splendid 

155 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

banquet  and  assembled  at  the  station  to 
bid  us  farewell.  Poor  Chico,  I  can  see  him 
yet,  waving  his  old  red  handkerchief  with 
his  right  hand,  his  left  covering  his  eyes. 

When  the  ship  moved  out  of  the  port,  I 
stood  on  the  deck  with  Hattie.  Mr.  Robin- 
son and  the  aged  mother  stood  near  us 
looking  upon  the  scene  amid  a  flood  of 
tears.  The  memory  of  their  dead  they 
were  leaving  behind,  was  no  doubt  upper- 
most in  their  minds. 

I  Jooked  upon  the  mountains  we  were 
just  leaving  until  they  were  a  mere  speck. 
I  intended  to  perform  one  last  service  for 
Peru,  for,  however  much  I  had  suffered,  it 
was  my  boyhood's  home,  the  only  home  I 
had  had  since  leaving  my  native  shores. 

We  were  a  week  making  the  voyage  from 
Mollendo  to  Panama.  The  weather  was 
fine  and  the  sea  was  smooth.  I  was  in  com- 
pany with  Hattie  much  of  the  time.  In  her 
gentle  way,  she  sought  to  dissuade  me  from 
the  perilous  undertaking  with  the  torpedo 
boat.  But  when  I  reminded  her  of  my  duty 

156 


ON   SUNNY  SEAS   BOUND   NORTH. 

to  Peru  she  said  no  more.   I  could  see,  how- 
ever, she  was  pained  at  the  thought. 

The  north  bound  steamer  had  gone  when 
we  arrived  at  Panama  and  the  Eobinsons 
would  have  to  wait  ten  days,  which  com- 
pelled them  to  stay  at  the  hotel  in  that  sul- 
try city. 

After  visiting  the  Peruvian  consul,  who 
had  been  notified  of  my  mission  by  his 
government,  I  learned  that  a  Chilean  cruis- 
er was  watching  the  torpedo  boat  and  it 
was  decided  to  await  a  dark  night  when  we 
could  escape  from  Panama  harbor.  Mean- 
time I  stopped  at  the  same  hotel  with  the 
Robinsons.  I  made  several  trips  around 
the  bay  to  test  the  speed  of  the  boat  and 
was  satisfied  we  could  outrun  the  cruiser, 
but  somehow  I  began  to  dread  the  venture. 
The  full  force  of  this  feeling  dawned  on 
me  when  I  realized  I  was  in  love  with 
Hattie. 

The  day  was  drawing  near  for  their  de- 
parture, when  Hattie  and  I  were  seated  on 
the  veranda  of  the  hotel,  looking  out  over 
the  Pacific.  The  afternoon  wore  away,  the 

157 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

sun  began  to  set  in  the  dense  blue  haze  of 
the  tropic  ocean,  the  great  cathedral  bells 
pealed  o'ut  the  hour  of  eight,  the  night  birds 
screeched  from  out  the  palms,  and  still  we 
sat  in  the  glow  of  the  twilight,  talking  of 
our  past  and  future. 

The  streets  became  silent  and  even  some 
stars  had  faded  from  the  skies  and  the 
ceaseless  roar  of  the  surf  beating  upon 
the  sands  was  music,  when  she  promised  to 
be  my  wife. 


158 


XIX. 

DEATH  SHIPS  OF  THE  SEA. 

A  thick  fog  rose  from  the  sea;  as  we 
stole  away  in  the  darkness  with  the  tor- 
pedo boat.  We  had  no  distinguishing  lights 
and  every  sound  was  muffled.  Even  the 
funnels  were  protected  against  the  tell-tale 
sparks  of  soft  coal.  The  spume  of  the  sea 
fell  over  our  forward  deck  in  flecks,  and 
the  waves  splashed  at  our  bow.  The  har- 
bor lights  of  Panama  shone  in  a  glow  of 
sickly  yellow. 

An  officer  stood  by  the  hooded  binnacle, 
watching  our  course  by  the  faint  glow  of  a 
tiny  lamp.  The  bulldog  engines,  which  I 
was  working,  were  speeding  us  at  17  knots 
an  hour  and  we  were  headed  for  Mollendo. 
We  had  no  armament.  That  was  sent  to 
the  Peruvian  government  by  other  means 
and  our  only  defense  against  the  Chilean 
cruiser  was  a  clean  pair  of  heels. 

159 


WHBBE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

Suddenly,  the  eye  of  a  search-light  op- 
ened, and  sent  a  long  gleam  of  yellow  into 
the  fog.  It  swung  around  and  rested  for 
a  moment  on  the  column  of  smoke  trailing 
from  our  funnels  and  changed  its  color 
from  a  black  to  a  fiery  red.  It  rested  there 
a  moment,  then  closed  and  all  was  dark- 
ness. The  tumult  was  deafening.  The 
hissing  rush  of  projectiles,  as  they  struck 
the  water  and  exploded  by  impact,  or 
shrieked  in  ricochet  overhead. 

The  brave  officer  at  the  binnacle  fell  to 
the  deck,  his  mangled  body  a  quivering 
mass.  One  funnel  was  struck  midway  and 
cut  in  twain  as  though  by  a  sharpened 
blade.  Fire  darted  up  from  the  half  fun- 
nel, and  showed  the  cruiser's  gunners  the 
correctness  of  their  aim.  It  lit  our  deck 
with  its  glare  and  showed  the  bodies  of  two 
others  on  the  forward  deck  bathed  in  blood. 
Another  officer  coolly  took  his  place  at  the 
binnacle  and  directed  a  change  in  the 
course  of  the  boat. 

The  spurting  jets  of  fire  from  our  broken 
funnel  gleamed  in  the  fog,  like  a  beacon 

160 


DEATH  SHIPS  OF  THE  SEA. 

light  to  those  on  board  the  gaunt  black 
monster  of  the  seas,  in  pursuit  of  his  prey. 
A  hunted  thing  on  the  black  waves,  we 
crowded  on  every  ounce  of  steam  through- 
out the  watches  of  the  night. 

With  the  morning  came  the  blaze  of  the 
tropic  sun.  It  drove  the  fog  off  the  sea 
and  showed  us  the  hull  of  the  cruiser,  loom- 
ing up  out  of  the  purple  mist.  Steadily,  we 
held  our  course,  with  steam  up  to  the  dan- 
ger line.  By  noon  we  had  gained  a  little, 
and  again,  with  the  approach  of  night,  the 
fog  began  to  rise  and  soon  enveloped  us  in 
its  grey  cloak.  But  that  beacon  light  from 
our  funnel  shone  hateful  as  its  spurting 
jets  flashed  signals  to  the  enemy  in  pur- 
suit. 

Another  night  passed,  and,  when  the  fog 
lifted  again,  there  was  the  vampire  even 
nearer  than  before. 

The  nervous  strain  was  telling  on  our 
crew.  The  day  before  we  joked  and  laughed 
— we  would  outrun  him  yet  in  the  night. 
We  would  have ;  but  for  the  glare  from  that 
funnel.  We  might  have  stole  into  some 

161 


WHEBE  STBONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

cove  and  let  him  pass  us  in  the  dark,  but  for 
that.  He  did  not  waste  shot  anymore,  we 
were  going  his  way.  He  could  afford  to 
wait.  The  third  day  the  crew  was  worn 
and  silent.  They  had  the  look  of  despera- 
tion in  their  faces,  as  they  threw  furtive 
glances  back  at  the  spectre,  the  Ship  of 
Death — The  Black  Coffin — we  called  him 
now. 

At  high  noon,  we  met  an  American  war- 
ship. His  crew  crowded  to  his  decks  and 
gave  cheer  after  cheer  in  sympathy  for  our 
desperate  plight.  The  big  greyhound  of 
the  sea  was  chasing  the  rabbit  he  had  bit- 
ten and  maimed,  and  the  sympathy  was 
with  the  weak.  By  night  the  nervous  strain 
had  become  almost  a  frenzy.  Then  to  add 
to  our  peril,  the  coal  in  the  bunkers  was 
running  low.  Something  must  happen  in 
our  favor  soon.  Our  signal  still  flashed 
from  the  half  funnel — our  signal  of  dis- 
tress— and  by  midnight  we  called  it  our 
funeral  candle.  The  sky  was  clear  now 
and  the  stars  were  shining.  We  could  see 
lights  flash  now  and  then  through  the  haze 

162 


DEATH  SHIPS  OF  THE  SEA. 

of  the  sea.  When  morning  come  there  he 
was,  big,  black,  hideous — still  in  our  wake. 

Coal  for  eight  more  hours  only.  Surely 
something  would  happen ;  help  must  come, 
out  of  the  sea,  out  of  the  sky,  out  of  some- 
where, only  it  must  come.  The  sea  was 
smooth;  not  a  ship  could  be  seen  on  the 
horizon.  All  on  board  were  in  restless 
anxiety.  Only  coal  for  three  more  hours. 

We  were  now  off  Ecuador.  The  officer 
in  command  called  the  crew. 

"We  shall  have  to  surrender  the  boat," 
he  said. 

The  assistant  engineer,  two  stokers  and 
myself,  all  of  us  British,  shouted  ' '  Never ! 
We  are  not  here  to  lay  in  a  Chilean  prison 
and  perhaps  be  shot !  We  beach  the  boat ! ' ' 
Our  emphasis  was  our  drawn  revolvers. 

Without  a  word,  the  officer  headed  the 
boat  for  the  shore.  We  gathered  up  a  few 
edibles  and  when  we  grounded  the  boat, 
swam  to  the  beach.  The  officer  lingered 
for  some  time  after  all  were  ashore,  then 
hurried  over  her  sides  and  made  his  es- 
cape. The  Chilean  cruiser  launched  her 

163 


WHEBB  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

boat,  eight  sailors  to  each  side  of  row- 
locks, an  ensign  and  a  party  of  marines. 
They  rowed  rapidly  to  the  torpedo  boat  and 
half  of  them  climbed  on  board,  when  her 
sides  parted  and  a  terrific  flame  shot  up- 
ward, bearing  the  bodies  of  a  dozen  men. 
The  officer  had  lit  the  fuse  that  did  the 
work. 

Ten  days  afterwards  the  two  stokers, 
assistant  engineer  and  myself,  footsore  and 
ragged,  went  on  board  the  British  mail 
steamer  at  Guayaquil  and  presented  our- 
selves to  the  gruff  old  captain. 

"Get  below  in  the  stoke-hole  and  black 
up,"  he  said,  "the  Chilean  government  of- 
fers five  thousand  dollars  reward  for  each 
of  you.  If  we  are  searched  you  are  stok- 
ers." 

Meanwhile,  on  board  another  ship  far  to 
the  north  were  aching  hearts.  Hattie's 
aged  mother  fell  ill  when  two  days  out  from 
Panama  and  the  next  day  she  passed  away. 
Rules  required  that  the  body  be  buried  at 
sea.  It  was  a  solemn  group  that  assem- 
bled at  the  ship's  gangway,  while  all  that 

164 


DEATH  SHIPS  OF  THE  SEA. 

was  mortal  of  the  aged  mother  rested  on  a 
plank,  one  end  of  which  was  held  by  a 
sailor.  Slowly  the  chaplain  read  the  beau- 
tiful service.  The  ship  was  stopped.  Not 
a  sound  was  heard  and  the  midnight  moon 
was  hidden  by  clouds.  ' '  Therefore  we  com- 
mit this  body  to  the  deep,"  was  pro- 
nounced. The  plank  was  raised  and  the 
body  was  swallowed  up  in  the  cavernous 
depths  of  the  ocean. 

Hattie  leaned  upon  the  arm  of  Mr.  Kob- 
inson,  who  tenderly  escorted  her  to  the  cab- 
in when  the  rites  were  over.  To  her  the 
world  was  gloomy  and  desolate,  her  sister 
but  recently  buried  in  far  away  Arequipa 
and  the  mother  now  in  the  sea.  With  a 
fortitude  beyond  her  years  the  Christian 
girl  bore  bravely  her  deep  sorrows,  trust- 
ing in  Him  "who  doeth  all  things  well." 
When  the  ship  reached  the  open  roadstead 
of  Port  Harford,  and  she  again  landed  on 
the  shores  of  her  native  California,  she 
went  to  her  former  home — a  vine-clad  cot- 
tage in  San  Louis  Obispo. 

It  was  here  I  found  her  some  weeks  after 


165 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

I  assumed  the  role  of  stoker  on  the  British 
mail  steamer.  Mr.  Robinson  had  gone  to 
his  former  home  in  Missouri,  but  Hattie 
was  protected  by  relatives.  We  talked 
of  our  coming  marriage.  It  was  not  possi- 
ble at  that  time.  I  had  lost  so  much  money 
by  exchange  from  the  paper  currency  of 
Peru  to  the  gold  of  California,  that  I  need- 
ed time  to  replenish  my  almost  depleted 
purse.  "We  decided  that  we  would  wait  one 
year,  meanwhile  I  would  go  to  Arizona  and 
run  an  engine  on  the  railroad  east  of 
Tuscon. 

It  made  my  heart  glad  to  be  in  a  country 
once  more  where  my  own  language  was 
spoken  and  among  people  whose  customs 
were  like  unto  that  of  my  native  land. 
There  was  no  prejudice  toward  me  on  ac- 
count of  my  foreign  birth,  such  as  I  had 
often  encountered  in  Peru.  The  hand  of 
fellowship  was  extended  in  this  broad  free 
land  of  the  United  States,  where  the 
greatness  of  men  is  measured  almost  by 
merit  alone. 


166 


DEATH  SHIPS  OF  THE  SEA. 

What  surprised  me  at  first  was  the  ab- 
sence of  soldiers  until  I  came  to  understand 
the  peace-loving  disposition  of  the  people, 
and  learned  that  in  the  hour  of  the  coun- 
try's need,  all  men  became  her  defenders. 

It  was  one  of  those  balmy  afternoons,  so 
characteristic  of  southern  California,  when 
Hattie  and  I  were  seated  in  a  park  over- 
looking the  beautiful  Los  Ossis  valley.  Our 
plans  were  made  for  the  future,  and  I  was 
to  leave  that  night  for  Arizona.  It  was 
the  tender  parting  of  man  and  woman 
whose  lives  had  been  seared  by  the  hot 
irons  of  adversity,  and  each  felt  that  the 
other  was  the  one  and  all  upon  this  planet. 
********* 

Here  Buchan's  narrative  was  broken 
short.  He  was  writing  the  last  chapter  on 
a  pair  of  ladies'  dainty  cuffs,  when  he 
stopped  and  listened.  He  arose  to  his  feet. 
"Do  you  know,"  he  said,  "I  thought  a 
moment  ago  I  heard  something — her 
voice. ' ' 


167 


XX. 

A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  CHEEOKEES. 

Mary  Greenwater  was  not  the  ugly, 
coarse-featured  woman  that  many  squaws 
are.  She  possessed  many  of  the  fine  fea- 
tures of  her  white  sisters.  She  had  been 
well  educated  at  the  Carlisle  Indian 
school,  and  had  traveled  much.  While,  with 
other  Cherokee  Indians,  she  drew  her  an- 
nuities from  the  government,  yet  she  was 
known  to  be  the  wealthiest  woman  of  the 
tribe.  She  was  lavish  in  the  expenditure 
of  money.  Her  home  in  the  Cherokee  hills 
was  elaborately  furnished  with  the  richest 
of  carpets  and  furniture;  even  a  grand 
piano  adorned  her  parlor.  But  with  all  its 
costly  appointments,  the  house  was  a  wil- 
derness of  disorder.  Like  other  of  her 
race,  she  despised  anything  akin  to  neat- 
ness. Her  dresses  were  gaudy  in  color  and 
extravagant  in  style.  Pearl  necklaces,  dia- 

168 


A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  CHEROKEES. 

mond  brooches  and  rings  were  worn  on  all 
occasions.  She  owned  fine  carriages  and 
many  spirited  horses.  As  a  horsewoman, 
she  was  an  expert  and  as  a  pistol  shot  she 
was  accounted  the  best  in  the  Cherokee  na- 
tion. Her  servants  were  the  half-breed  In- 
dian Negroes  to  whom  her  word  was  as 
absolute  a  law  as  any  Calif  ever  possessed 
over  a  tribe.  She  was  accustomed  to  com- 
mand, and  if  disobeyed  she  enforced  her 
orders  at  the  point  of  the  revolver  she  al- 
ways carried. 

The  source  of  Mary  Greenwater's 
wealth  was  a  mystery.  Those  of  her  tribe 
gave  themselves  no  concern  about  it,  but 
the  matter  was  a  subject  of  much  comment 
among  the  few  white  men  in  the  territory. 
Mercer,  a  young  man  of  adventurous  spir- 
it, hearing  of  her  fabulous  wealth,  sought 
her  hand  in  marriage.  After  the  wedding, 
he  used  all  his  arts  to  wring  from  her  the 
secret  of  her  riches.  Once  when  she  start- 
ed on  one  of  her  lone  journeys  to  the  hills 
of  the  Grand  Kiver,  he  attempted  to  follow 
and  that  was  the  last  ever  seen  or  heard  of 


169 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

him.  That  the  woman  possessed  the  secret 
of  a  vast  amount  of  lost  treasure  was  evi- 
dent, as  she  spent  many  Spanish  gold  coins 
of  ancient  date  as  months  rolled  on,  and 
this  induced  Grim,  a  farm  hand,  to  marry 
her.  She  elevated  him  from  a  menial  posi- 
tion, to  overseer  of  her  ranch.  She  gave 
him  money,  which  he  recklessly  spent  at 
the  faro  tables  at  the  Garrison.  When  she 
refused  to  further  indulge  him  in  his  reck- 
less expenditures,  he,  like  Mercer,  attempt- 
ed to  follow  her  on  her  journey  to  the 
Grand  Eiver  hills  one  night.  He  was  miss- 
ed by  his  companions  who  went  in  num- 
bers to  search  for  him,  taking  an  Indian 
guide.  They  were  led  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion from  the  way  he  went  and  his  fate 
remained  a  mystery,  until  many  months 
later  his  body  was  found  in  the  Grand  Eiv- 
er, with  a  bullet  in  the  brain. 

Two  years  after  the  death  of  Grim,  Car- 
son and  a  negro  were  hunting  in  the  Grand 
Eiver  country  and  were  encamped  one 
night  in  the  hills.  While  seated  beside  their 
campfire,  they  heard  a  cry  of  distress. 

170 


A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  CHEKOKEES. 

Upon  going  to  the  spot,  they  found  a  lone 
Indian  woman  pinioned  beneath  her  pony, 
which  had  stepped  into  a  wolf  hole  and 
broke  its  leg.  The  woman  was  badly  in- 
jured and  they  carried  her  to  their  camp- 
fire  and  made  her  comfortable.  The  next 
day  they  constructed  a  rude  litter  and  car- 
ried her  twenty  miles  to  a  place  where  she 
could  receive  medical  attention. 

The  woman  was  Mary  Greenwater,  and 
this  was,  perhaps,  the  first  act  of  kindness 
she  had  ever  received. 

A  certain  escapade  at  the  close  of  Car- 
son's college  days  had  caused  him  to  mi- 
grate to  the  West,  where,  like  many  others, 
he  became  a  soldier  of  fortune,  drifting 
whither  the  strongest  tide  wind  blew. 
When  Mary  Greenwater  recovered  she 
sought  him,  and  in  her  gratitude  made 
him  the  overseer  of  her  ranch  at  a  prince- 
ly salary. 

In  course  of  time  they  were  married  by 
the  ancient  Indian  ceremony  of  the  Fast- 
est Horse.  When  the  days  of  feasting 
were  over,  and  Mary  Greenwater 's  rela- 

171 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

tives  had  returned  to  their  cabins  richer  by 
a  number  of  ponies,  Mary  told  Carson  a 
wondrous  story  of  how,  many  summers 
ago,  when  her  grandfather  was  a  boy,  a 
Spanish  caravan  came  from  Santa  Fe  and 
was  besieged  in  the  Grand  river  hills  for 
many  days,  and  of  how,  finding  that  they 
would  eventually  be  starved  to  death  if 
they  remained,  the  travelers  had  hidden 
their  possessions  among  the  lime  rocks  and 
undertaken  to  cut  their  way  through  the 
Indian  hordes  to  a  place  of  safety.  Her 
grandfather  had  found  the  hiding  place  of 
the  treasure  and  had  kept  it  a  profound 
secret  from  all  except  herself,  to  whom  he 
told  it  only  when  he  began  to  sing  his  death 
song. 

Mary  Greenwater  swore  to  Carson  that 
the  hiding  place  of  the  Spanish  treasure 
would  never  be  known  except  to  one  other 
member  of  her  tribe,  and  then  not  until 
after  her  death.  She  told  him  there  were 
valuable  papers  which  she  knew  none  of 
her  people  could  ever  use,  and  which  she 
later  gave  to  Carson. 

172 


A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  CHEROKEES. 

The  documents  were  discolored  and  the 
ink  faded  and  this  much  Carson  was  able 
to  decipher:  "Jean  Maldonado  visited  a 
far  distant  country  north  of  Santa  Fe — a 
wide  valley  through  which  flowed  a  stream, 
along  the  banks  were  bushes  that  bore  fruit 
like  unto  those  of  Spain — in  the  valley 
were  herds  of  oxen  of  the  bigness  and  color 
of  our  bulls — their  horns  are  not  so  great 
— they  have  a  great  bunch  upon  their  fore 
shoulders  and  more  hair  on  the  forepart 
than  on  the  hindpart ;  they  have  a  horse 's 
mane  upon  their  backbone  and  much  hair 
and  very  long  from  the  knees  downward 
— they  have  great  tufts  of  hair  hanging 
from  their  foreheads  and  it  seemeth  they 
have  beards — they  push  with  their  horns — 
they  overtake  and  kill  a  horse — finally  it  is 
a  fierce  beast  of  countenance  and  form  of 
body — we  feared  these  beasts  and  stayed 
near  the  mountains  named  the  Sangre  de 
Christo.  *********  Climbed  the 
mountain  to  a  great  flat  rock  that  stood  on 
end  like  a  platter  *****  Jean  Maldonado, 
commander  of  an  expedition  reached  this 

173 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

place  1750  ******  The  mine  yielded 
much  gold  in  a  rock  like  white  china — Bab- 
tiste  beat  it  out  with — Mattheo  returned 
from  Santa  Fe  with  more  donkeys — loaded 
donkeys  with  much  unbeaten  rock — return- 
ed to  Santa  Fe"  - 

Here  the  ink  was  so  faded  that  nothing 
more  could  be  made  of  the  manuscript. 
The  accompanying  map  was  more  perfect. 
The  tracings  showed  the  mountain  ranges. 
It  had  been  drawn  almost  with  the  preci- 
sion of  an  engineer.  The  route  from  San- 
ta Fe  through  the  mountain  passes  was 
clearly  shown;  there  were  marks  of  each 
day's  stops.  Where  the  map  showed  the 
end  of  the  journey  there  was  the  rude 
drawing  of  a  cliff  set  on  edge  and  below  it 
was  marked  "Gold." 

Carson  pondered  over  the  quaint  docu- 
ment for  many  days.  The  Indian  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Greenwater  had  become 
a  matter  of  regret.  While  the  woman 
loved  him,  yet  her  love  was  like  a  new 
bowie  knife,  to  be  handled  with  care.  He 
decided  to  leave  the  Grand  River  country 

174 


A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  CHEROKEES. 

and  bide  his  time  until  Mary  Greenwater 
should  make  one  of  her  long  visits  to  the 
hills.  One  night  he  mounted  the  best 
horse  on  the  ranch  and  driving  thirty  oth- 
ers ahead  of  him,  set  out  for  Colorado.  On 
the  way  he  sold  most  of  the  horses  to 
ranchmen  and  cattlemen  and  netted  a  neat 
sum. 

When  Mary  Greenwater  returned  and 
found  her  spouse  had  vanished,  her  fury 
knew  no  bounds.  Ordinarily  the  Indian 
squaw  might  be  deserted  by  her  lord  and 
she  would  stoically  accept  her  fate.  Mary 
might  have  done  so  had  she  not  been 
spoiled  by  being  educated  at  Carlisle.  Her 
savage  blood  grew  hot  for  revenge.  She 
made  another  trip  to  the  Grand  river  hills, 
presumably  for  a  larger  amount  of  money, 
placed  her  affairs  in  the  hands  of  her  In- 
dian-Negro servants,  and  started  on  the 
trail  of  Carson,  believing  she  would  have 
no  trouble  in  overtaking  a  man  driving 
that  many  head  of  horses.  Meanwhile  the 
fall  rains  set  in  and  the  shallow  rivers  of 
the  plains  became  raging  torrents.  But  to 

175 


a  woman  of  Mary  Greenwater's  determined 
character,  these  things  were  obstacles  only 
for  the  time  being.  Her  heart  was  bad  and 
her  love  of  revenge  strong. 


176 


XXI. 

CAESON'S  BLANK  PAGES  IN  LIFE. 

When  Carson  left  the  cabin  he  followed 
the  winding  trail  that  led  to  the  valley  be- 
low. The  road  to  Saguache  showed  the 
hoof  prints  of  a  prospector's  outfit,  and  the 
marks  of  a  sleigh  leading  to  Del  Norte. 
The  glare  of  the  sun  on  the  reflected  snow 
was  blinding  and  he  drew  his  hat  down 
over  his  eyes.  He  was  thinking  of  his 
worthless  life  since  leaving  college.  Once 
he  had  builded  lofty  hopes  of  future  do- 
ings in  the  world,  but  he  had  allowed  him- 
self to  drift;  his  ship  of  fate  had  gone 
wherever  the  strongest  tide  wind  carried. 
He  saw  now  that  he  might  have  marked  out 
some  honorable  career  and  piloted  his 
course  toward  it.  Others  of  his  class  in 
college  were  in  a  fair  way  to  make  their 
mark  in  the  world.  Why  was  it  not  so 
with  him?  It  was  born  in  him,  as  it  had 

177 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

been  in  his  father,  to  choose  the  wild  life  of 
the  frontier  in  preference  to  holding  the 
presidency  of  a  bank  in  Atlanta.  He  felt 
that  the  world  in  its  wildest  freedom  was 
his  for  his  pleasure.  The  cords  of  re- 
straint which  society  demanded  were  to 
him  the  fetters  of  a  tyrant  ruler,  and  so, 
as  Sampson  broke  the  green  withes  which 
bound  him,  Carson  broke  the  laws  of  so- 
ciety— nay  civilization,  and  married  a 
squaw  according  to  the  ceremony  of  her 
people.  He  repented  the  act  to  some  ex- 
tent, and  then  cast  his  cares  aside:  with 
the  comforting  knowledge  that  the  world 
was  too  busy  a  place  for  people  to  give 
themselves  much  concern  over  his  affairs. 
Long  ago  he  realized  that  if  he  threw  him- 
self into  the  swirl  of  humanity  and  allowed 
himself  to  become  a  part  of  its  motives  and 
its  emotions,  that  it  would  require  a  hercu- 
lean effort  to  attain  a  position  where  he 
could  look  over  the  heads  of  other  men. 
That  position,  he  argued,  was  not  worth 
the  life-long  effort  required.  "Withal,  he 
could  not  bring  himself  to  quite  under- 

178 


stand  why  he  had  married  Mary  Green- 
water,  unless  that  she  possessed  some  oc- 
cult power  and  gained  control  over  forces 
of  his  nature  which  he  did  not  understand. 
True,  there  was  but  little  or  no  obligation 
to  the  ceremony.  It  held  good  in  the  Cher- 
okee Indian  nation,  that  government  with- 
in a  government.  Outside  that  limited 
space  of  ground  it  was  null  and  void.  He 
was  a  free  man  under  the  laws  of  his  own 
government.  Yet  that  act,  of  his  own  crea- 
tion, somehow  seemed  to  stand  over  him 
like  a  Frankenstein  with  an  uplifted  axe. 

The  snow  was  deep,  and  as  he  plodded 
along  with  these  thoughts  running  through 
his  mind,  he  heard  a  cry.  Glancing  back- 
wards he  saw  a  horse  drawing  a  sleigh, 
plunging  madly  down  the  road.  The  reins 
were  held  by  a  woman,  frantically  urging 
the  horse  forward.  Some  distance  behind 
four  huge  mountain  lions  were  in  hot 
pursuit,  their  heavy  bodies  crouching  and 
springing  forward  many  feet  at  a  leap. 
Carson  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance 
and,  raising  his  hand  as  a  signal  to  the  girl 

179 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

in  the  sleigh  to  rein  in,  he  sprang  into  the 
vehicle  as  she  passed.  The  momentary 
pause  had  given  the  beasts  a  chance  to 
gain,  when,  drawing  his  revolver,  he  fired 
at  the  foremost  and  sent  it  rolling  in  the 
snow.  Another  shot  and  a  second  lion 
paused  with  a  mighty  roar.  At  this  the 
other  two  turned  and  fled  in  the  opposite 
direction. 

Carson  now  took  the  reins  and  stopped 
the  horse.  The  animal  was  trembling  with 
fright,  while  the  girl  was  calm  but  pale. 

*  *  Rather  a  close  shave,  eh,  Sis  ? ' ' 

" Truly,"  she  replied,  "how  fortunate 
you  were  here.  I  was  driving  to  Del  Norte 
when  I  met  the  lions.  They  were  gambol- 
ing in  the  snow  like  kittens.  When  I 
turned  Bess,  they  pursued.  I  want  the 
one  you  have  just  killed,  I  want  to  have 
him  mounted  to  remember  today, —  and — 
and — you. ' ' 

"By  all  means,  Miss,  you  shall  have  it, 
but  where  are  you  going  now?" 

"Back  to  Saguache  after  this  fright. 
Poor  Old  Bess  could  not  have  stood  the 


180 


CARSON  S  BLANK  PAGES  IN  LIFE. 

race  much  farther.  See  how  she  trembles. 
I  am  the  niece  of  Mr.  Amos.  My  name  is 
Annie  Amos.  I  have  friends  in  Del  Norte, 
whom  I  intended  to  visit.  I  shall  wait  now 
until  I  have  an  escort. ' ' 

* '  Ah — my  name  is  Carson — Jack  Carson. 
I  was  going  to  Saguache  to  see  Mr.  Amos, 
the  assayer,  to  have  him  test  a  jug  handle, 
— er,  that  is,  to  have  the  jug  handle  test 
him.  I  don't  mean  that ;  I  mean  our  mine  is 
named  the  Jug  Handle,  I  will  get  it  right 
after  awhile,  and  I  want  him  to  make  a  test 
of  the  ore." 

"Confound  it,"  he  thought  as  he  turned 
the  horse,  "I  haven't  the  sense  of  a  jack- 
rabbit  to  make  a  break  like  that." 

One  of  the  lions  lay  pawing  the  snow  in 
its  death  struggle  and  as  Carson  came 
near,  it  reared  itself  as  if  to  make  one  last 
leap.  Its  eyes  gleamed  in  savage  yellow, 
foam  fell  in  flecks  from  its  mouth,  while  a 
tiny  stream  of  crimson  stained  the  snow. 
Carson 's  weapon  spit  fire  and  the  creature 
rolled  over  motionless.  He  dragged  the 
carcass  to  the  end  of  the  sleigh  and,  lifting 

181 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

it  upon  the  edge  of  the  box,  made  it  fast. 

"If  you  are  going  to  Saguache  to  see 
my  uncle,  I  fear  you  will  be  disappointed 
as  he  left  this  morning  for  an  absence  of 
several  days. ' ' 

"That  does  not  matter  as  I  have  other 
business  anyway.  Most  any  time  will  do, 
as  I  am  in  town  quite  often.  We  would 
better  not  drive  so  fast.  Your  horse  is  in 
a  foam." 

Carson  was  fast  becoming  interested  in 
the  girl  at  his  side.  Her  calm  poise,  after 
the  exciting  adventures  with  the  mountain 
lions  surprised  him.  Other  women  would 
have  been  hysterical,  but  here  by  his  side 
sat  a  girl  not  yet  out  of  her  teens,  as  calm 
and  collected  as  a  veteran  soldier  after  the 
battle.  And  Amos,  the  man  he  was  going 
to  see  and  intended  to  kill  if  he  proved  to 
be  the  villian  he  suspected  him  to  be,  was 
her  uncle." 

The  white  billows  rose  rank  on  rank  on 
the  distant  mountains,  while  the  snow  of 
the  valley  shrunk  visibly  away,  leaving  the 
grey  rocks  naked  and  protuberant. 

182 


CARSON'S  BLANK  PAGES  IN  LIFE. 

The  newly-made  acquaintances  chatted 
gaily  as  the  horse  jogged  along. 

"I  was  thinking  of  your  remark  awhile 
ago, ' '  said  Carson,  ' '  that  you  would  go  to 
Del  Norte  tomorrow  if  you  had  an  escort, 
and  as  I  have  some  time  to  idle  away  it 
would  give  me  pleasure  to  drive  you  over. ' ' 

"It  would  give  me  equal  pleasure  to  have 
you  do  so,"  she  replied  with  admirable 
frankness,  * '  that  is,  if  you  are  going  there 
anyway. ' ' 

"I  may  need  to  purchase  some  new  im- 
plements with  which  to  work  the  Aberdeen 
— I  mean  the  Jug  Handle  mine,"  he  ex- 
plained. "I  have  heard  of  a  new  drill  they 
are  working  over  there  and  it  may  be  just 
the  thing  for  the  formation  we  are  now  in. ' ' 

"I  see,"  said  the  girl,  as  a  mischievous 
smile  flitted  about  her  lips,  ' '  and  I  am  very 
glad  you  will  accompany  me.  I  shall  make 
you  acquainted  with  some  of  my  very  dear 
friends. ' ' 

Carson  was  forgetting  his  millions  in 
the  mine  and  letting  his  mind  wander  to 
the  expected  joys  of  entertaining  and  be- 

183 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

ing  entertained  by  people  of  real  worth 
once  more.  He  felt  returning  pride,  and 
then  the  thought  of  the  Frankenstein 
with  the  uplifted  axe  made  him  groan  in- 
wardly. But  pshaw!  she  did  not  know — 
never  would  know,  and  what  people  do  not 
know  will  not  hurt  them,  he  reasoned. 

He  felt  an  increasing  admiration  for  the 
girl  beside  him.  They  were  alone  in  the 
wide  expanse  of  valley  and  had  known  each 
other  only  an  hour,  yet  this  girl  was  will- 
ing to  trust  to  his  honor  and  manhood. 
And  be  it  said  for  Carson,  as  it  may  be  said 
for  thousands  of  other  men  on  the  Amer- 
ican frontier,  he  would  have  yielded  his  life 
rather  than  betray  that  sacred  trust.  In- 
stances like  this  are  common  in  the  West. 

As  they  drove  down  the  main  street  of 
Saguache,  the  passers  looked  curiously 
at  the  pair  in  the  sleigh  and  at  the  dead 
lion  strapped  behind.  When  they  stopped 
in  front  of  the  postoffice,  a  crowd  gathered 
around  the  sleigh.  A  supple  figure  edged 
through  the  crowd  and  addressed  the  girl : 

"Kill  it  all  by  yourself,  Annie?" 

184 


CARSON'S  BLANK  PAGES  IN  LIFE. 

The  familiarity  with  which  he  spoke  net- 
tled the  girl,  and  she  turned  her  head  with- 
out answering.  The  supple  figure  felt  the 
rebuff  and  all  the  more  because  others  no- 
ticed it.  He  stood  his  ground,  however, 
until  Carson  returned  and  when  he  saw  his 
face  he  quickly  drew  out  of  sight. 

"Tomorrow  at  seven,"  said  Carson,  as 
he  bade  her  goodbye  at  her  house. 

Carson  went  to  his  hotel  with  a  lighter 
heart  than  he  had  had  for  months.  He  lit 
a  cigar  and  sat  by  the  window,  then  felt 
for  something  in  his  pocket,  and  threw  it 
in  the  wood-box.  "There  are  other  jug 
handles, ' '  he  said  to  himself. 

He  walked  the  streets  aimlessly  until 
supper.  He  retired  early  and  tried  to 
sleep,  but  his  thoughts  ran  wild  on  the 
events  of  the  day.  He  could  think  of  no 
one  except  Annie.  It  was  still  early  in  the 
night,  when  he  arose  from  a  restless  bed 
and  went  out  on  the  streets.  Lights  blazed 
from  the  Lone  Tree  saloon,  and  as  he  en- 
tered he  saw  a  crowd  about  the  faro  table. 
The  sudden  exclamations  of  many  voices 

185 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

told  that  some  one  was  winning  heavily. 
He  pressed  forward  through  the  crowd 
and  saw  the  form  of  a  woman.  When  she 
partially  turned  her  face,  he  felt  his  heart 
give  a  great  throb,  and  he  fled  into  the 
street. 

The  remainder  of  the  night  he  walked 
through  the  crunching  snow,  while  the 
silent  stars  seemed  to  gaze  with  tearful 
eyes  upon  him  in  this,  the  greatest  misery 
he  had  ever  known.  He  walked  several 
miles  out  of  town  to  avoid  meeting  anyone 
he  knew  and  then  presented  himself  at  the 
Amos  residence. 

"I  believe  it  is  seven  o'clock,  Miss  An- 
nie," he  said,  when  she  answered  his  call. 

' '  Yes,  and  I  am  ready, ' '  was  the  cheerful 
answer. 


186 


XXII. 

A  VOICE  FROM  CENTUEIES  PAST. 

Buchan  was  ready  to  throw  the  lever  of 
his  engine  and  roll  out  of  Tucson,  when  a 
messenger  handed  him  a  packet  bearing 
the  postmark  of  Peru.  The  missive  showed 
signs  of  age,  and,  having  traveled  much, 
had  reached  its  destination  at  last.  He 
tossed  it  into  his  tool  box  and  an  hour  later 
when  speeding  over  the  scorched  deserts  of 
Arizona,  he  opened  the  packet.  The  letter 
was  dated  at  Truxillo  and  read: 

"Dear  Don  Juan — I  have  been  ill  for 
many  months,  and  I  feel  that  my  end  is 
drawing  nigh,  but  before  I  go  I  want  to  do 
something  for  you.  I  have  heard  how  Don 
Kodrigo  so  justly  met  his  end,  and  with 
this  knowledge  I  die  easier.  You  are  young 
and  strong,  with  a  long  life  of  usefulness 
ahead,  and  I  feel  that  in  entrusting  to  you 
a  family  secret,  I  am  only  doing  that  which 

187 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

I  would  have  done  had  Felicita  lived.  She 
was  the  last  of  our  house  and  the  heritage 
of  our  family  belonged  to  her.  As  it  is,  I 
make  you  my  heir  to  the  valuable  papers 
handed  down  to  me  from  my  ancestors. 
May  they  prove  to  you  a  blessing.  Would 
that  I  had  more  to  give  you.  May  the 
blessings  of  the  Virgin  ever  rest  upon 
you. 

"  Julian." 

Accompanying  the  letter  was  a  parch- 
ment scroll,  dated  Lima,  1752.    It  read : 

"I,  Jean  Maldonado,  do  write  of  my 
extraordinary  adventures  in  Nueva  Espa- 
nola,  wherein  I  was  duly  appointed  the 
Commander  of  an  expedition  to  the  land  of 
Quivera,  in  search  of  the  Seven  Cities  of 
Cibola,  in  the  service  of  his  excellency,  the 
viceroy  of  Santa  Fe.  A  barbarian  told  us 
he  would  lead  us  unto  a  land  to  the  far 
north,  where  shops  blazed  with  jewels  and 
common  cooking  vessels  were  made  of 
gold;  that  the  metal  was  so  common  as  to 
be  of  no  value.  The  king  of  this  city  took 
his  noonday  meals  beneath  a  golden  can- 

188 


A   VOICE    FROM    CENTURIES    PAST. 

opy,  hung  with  tinkling  silver  bells. 
There  was  a  sea  upon  which  this  king  rode 
in  a  canoe,  which  would  carry  twenty 
horses.  Upon  its  prow  was  an  idol  of  beat- 
en gold.  The  canoe  was  fitted  with  sump- 
tuous cushions,  upon  which  the  monarch 
took  his  siestas,  to  the  music  made  by 
dancing  maidens  with  bells  and  castanets. 
Fish  as  large  as  horses  abounded,  and 
sweet  fruit  bigger  than  a  soldier's  helmet 
grew  upon  the  trees.  The  monarch  who 
ruled  over  this  land  was  long-bearded, 
white-haired,  and  wore  robes  of  bright- 
hued,  rich  stuffs,  and  slept  in  a  garden 
where  trees  were  hung  with  a  thousand 
bells,  which  made  exquisite  music  when 
shaken  by  the  wind.  And  this  king  wor- 
shipped the  golden  image  of  a  woman,  the 
Queen  of  Heaven,  and  ate  from  gold  and 
silver  bowls,  of  which  the  dais  he  sat  upon 
was  made.  He  spoke  with  vast  assurance 
and  said  he  would  conduct  us  thither  when- 
ever we  should  follow. 

"We  journeyed  northward  many  leagues 
over  mountains  and  came  to  a  wide  valley 

189 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

watered  by  a  stream.  Farther  on  were 
high  mountains  and  we  named  them  San- 
gre  de  Christo  and  marked  three  moun- 
tains *  Spanish  Peaks '  on  our  map,  that  we 
might  not  miss  our  way.  One  day  a  pious 
soldier  saw  the  barbarian  with  his  face  in  a 
pool  of  water,  talking  with  the  devil.  After 
that  we  were  suspicious.  After  many  days' 
journey  we  found  the  city,  but  alas,  it  was 
mud  huts,  and  the  only  metal  was  a  copper 
plate  around  the  old  chief's  neck  and  by 
which  he  sat  great  store.  There  were  no 
golden  vessels,  no  image  of  the  Virgin,  no 
golden  dais  and  no  silver  bells. 

"The  wicked  barbarian  then  said  he 
had  led  us  into  the  desert  to  die.  Our  sol- 
diers were  wroth  and  I  ordered  him  hang- 
ed on  a  considerable  tree,  to  let  him  know 
there  was  a  God  in  heaven  and  a  King  in 
Spain. 

"We  turned  our  steps  backward  after 
we  had  set  up  a  cross,  and  journeyed  into 
the  valley.  Now  there  were  many  oxen 
come  into  the  valley  of  the  figure  and  color 
of  our  bulls,  but  their  horns  were  not  so 


190 


A  VOICE   FEOM   CENTURIES   PAST. 

great.  They  had  a  great  bunch  upon  their 
fore  shoulders  and  more  hair  upon  their 
fore  parts  than  on  their  hind  parts.  They 
had  a  horse's  mane  upon  their  backbone 
and  much  hair  from  the  knees  downward. 
They  had  great  tufts  of  hair  hanging  from 
their  foreheads  and  it  seemeth  that  they 
had  beards,  because  of  the  great  store  of 
hair  at  their  chins  and  throats.  In  some 
respects  they  resembled  a  lion,  and  in  some 
others  the  camel.  They  pushed  with  their 
horns,  and  they  overtook  and  killed  horses. 
Finally,  it  was  a  foul  and  fierce  beast  of 
countenance. 

"We  have  stayed  close  to  the  mountains 
where  we  could  flee  to  the  rocks  if  they 
pursued  us.  We  were  crossing  the  moun- 
tain, when  we  came  upon  a  spring  near 
unto  a  huge  cliff  that  sat  on  the  edge  like 
a  platter.  We  camped  here  many  days  un- 
til the  bulls  left  the  valley.  Some  distance 
from  the  rock  like  a  platter,  Casteanda 
found  gold  in  a  white  rock,  which  we  did 
beat  up  and  saved  much  pure  gold.  Cas- 
teanda journeyed  to  Santa  Fe  and  re- 

191 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

turned  with  more  donkeys,  and  we  loaded 
upon  them  much  unbeaten  rock.  We  all 
then  journeyed  back  to  Santa  Fe,  for  the 
barbarians  were  angry  at  our  intrusion 
and  we  went  in  haste,  leaving  more  gold 
in  the  white  rock  than  would  load  a  ship's 
boat.  I  cut  in  the  rock,  high  up,  the  words : 

"  'Jean  Maldonado. 

111  Commander  of  an  Expedition,  reach- 
ed this  place,  1750.' 

"All  this,  so  that  the  subjects  of  Spain 
might  know  this  country  belonged  to  His 
Majesty. 

"We  journeyed  back  to  Santa  Fe  after 
many  days  of  hardships  and  we  found  a 
new  Viceroy  had  been  appointed  and  he 
demanded  our  gold.  This  we  were  loath 
to  give  up,  and  after  selling  it  to  a  trader 
for  the  coin  of  the  realm,  we  started  across 
the  country  for  New  Orleans,  knowing  well 
not  to  go  south  for  the  new  Viceroy  would 
pursue  us  and  take  the  gold. 

"We  journeyed  along  the  banks  of  a  con- 
siderable river  by  night  and  hid  ourselves 
by  day.  We  saw  many  thousands  of  fero- 

192 


A  VOICE   FROM    CENTURIES   PAST. 

cious  bulls  grazing,  and  when  they  ran  the 
noise  was  like  thunder  and  it  made  us 
afraid.  We  crossed  many  rivers  and  fi- 
nally came  to  a  country  of  wooded  hills 
where  the  Barbarians  were  thick  and  fero- 
cious. 

"The  Barbarians  pursued  us  and  we 
hid  our  gold  and  records  in  a  cave  and 
rolled  a  stone  over  the  hole  and  fled.  They 
killed  nearly  all  of  our  expedition  and  our 
mules.  Baptiste  was  sorely  wounded  in 
the  breast  with  an  arrow  and  notwithstand- 
ing we  bled  him  copiously,  he  died. 

1 '  The  treatment  given  us  by  the  Barbar- 
ians irritated  us  exceedingly  and  we  fell 
upon  them  with  swords  when  they  were  not 
in  great  numbers. 

"We  came  to  a  river  whose  waters  were 
red,  like  unto  the  color  of  the  tiles  on 
the  houses  of  Seville,  and  after  journeying 
along  its  banks  for  many  nights,  we  came 
unto  the  Kiver  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
DeSoto  discovered  and  here  we  found 
safety. 

"While  all  these  things  were  new  in  my 

193 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

mind  I  made  another  map  in  order  that  I 
might  take  another  expedition  to  the  mine 
when  the  Viceroy  grew  rich  from  the  spoils 
of  office  and  would  trouble  us  no  more.  But 
he  did  write  unto  the  people  of  Spain  that 
I  would  be  hanged  upon  my  return  to  San- 
ta Fe,  therefore  I  desisted  in  returning. 
Being  extremely  irritated  at  his  conduct  I 
sought  my  fortune  in  Peru,  until  such  time 
when  he  should  be  called  to  heaven,  which 
call  even  now,  in  my  old  age,  has  not  yet 
been  made,  over  which  misfortune  I  have 
sorely  grieved. " 

Accompanying  this  document  was  a  map 
with  the  Sangre  de  Christo  range,  the 
Spanish  Peaks,  the  River,  Valley  and  flat 
cliff  on  edge,  plainly  marked.  The  distance 
from  Santa  Fe  and  the  mountain  passes 
was  clearly  indicated. 

A  month  later  Buchan  was  transferred 
on  a  run  out  of  Santa  Fe  where  the  hand 
of  Fate  and  Chance  again  took  part.  He 
received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Kobinson  who 
had  joined  a  surveying  party  and  had  fall- 
en ill  at  Saguache.  The  letter  implored 

194 


A  VOICE   FROM    CENTURIES   PAST. 

him  to  come,  if  he  ever  expected  to  see 
alive.  True  to  his  old  time  friendship,  he 
lost  no  time  in  reaching  his  bedside.  Mr. 
Eobinson  lingered  a  few  weeks  and  died. 
This  was  more  sad  news  for  Hattie  in  her 
far-away  home,  amid  the  Santa  Lucia 
mountains.  She  alone  remained  of  the 
happy  family  who  had  gone  to  Arequipa 
with  fond  hopes  for  the  future  beneath 
those  sunny  skies. 

I,  the  writer,  had  been  with  Carson  a 
few  days  before  prospecting  in  the  Sangre 
de  Christo  mountains,  when  by  chance  we 
rested  at  the  spring  beside  the  peculiar 
shaped  cliff.  I  noticed  that  Carson  was  in- 
terested in  the  surroundings,  but  I  thought 
nothing  of  it  at  the  time.  The  formation 
of  the  cliff  appealed  to  my  fancy,  and  I 
chanced  to  mention  it  to  Buchan  one  day 
when  he  became  excited  and  asked  to  be 
shown  its  whereabouts. 

Together  with  Carson  we  visited  the 
spot.  Being  an  old  prospector,  I  soon  dis- 
covered formations  that  looked  like  pay 
ore.  My  years  of  experience  in  these 

195 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

mountains  had  taught  me  that  a  man 
might  work  a  lifetime  and  gain  nothing, 
and  again  from  the  outcroppings  of  a  stone 
at  grass  roots  he  might  develop  a  mine 
worth  a  million  dollars. 

Carson  and  Buchan  were  sanguine  over 
our  prospects,  too  much  so,  I  thought,  for 
men  who  had  no  experience  in  mining. 

I  located  the  claim  so  as  to  include  the 
cliff  and  spring  and  when  I  made  out  the 
registration  papers,  I  said:  "Gentlemen, 
what  shall  we  call  the  mine?" 

"Name  it  the  Maldonado,"  said  Carson. 

"What!"  exclaimed  Buchan,  turning  an 
ashen  paleness. 

"The  Major  Domo,"  replied  Carson, 
looking  somewhat  abashed. 

"Name  it  the  Aberdeen,"  said  Buchan. 
"I  like  to  hear  that  name  spoken,  it  was 
my  old  home  in  Scotland. ' ' 


196 


XXIII. 

THE  TWO  OLD  BLACK  CROWS. 

Amos  sat  in  the  little  back  room  of  Ray- 
der's  office  in  Denver.  His  beady  black  eyes 
glistened  beneath  his  beetle  brows.  A 
pleased  expression  shone  on  his  thin  face, 
drawn  in  wrinkles  like  stained  parchment. 
Rayder  was  out,  but  had  left  instructions 
for  him  to  wait.  As  he  sat  there  his  eye 
caught  sight  of  something  interesting  on 
Rayder 's  desk.  The  door  was  closed  and 
he  was  alone.  He  leaned  forward  and  took 
up  some  slips  of  paper  for  closer  inspec- 
tion. They  were  certificates  of  assay  from 
Pendleton.  The  pleased  look  vanished  as 
he  noted  Amos  No.  1,  Amos  No.  2,  Amos 
No.  3,  and  so  on  for  a  dozen  or  more  slips. 
Rayder  did  not  trust  him,  and  had  had  the 
sample  of  ore  assayed  by  Pendleton  for 
corroboration. 

"He  does  not  even  believe  in  honesty 

197 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

among  thieves,"  he  mused,  as  he  carefully 
replaced  the  papers;  Then  the  pleased 
look  came  back  to  his  face. 

"All  the  better,"  he  thought.  "He  will 
deal  now  and  it  is  my  time  to  strike  before 
the  iron  cools." 

He  drew  his  chair  further  back  from  the 
desk,  and  pretended  to  be  reading  a  news- 
paper when  he  heard  Eayder  coming. 

"Just  the  man  I  have  been  wanting  to 
see,"  said  Eayder,  extending  his  hand, 
"how  is  everything  in  Saguache  and  how  is 
Annie?" 

"Annie  is  handsome  as  ever,  but  there  is 
a  new  assayer  coming  to  town  next  month 
and  I  understand  he  is  on  the  dead  square. 
and  what  we  do  we  have  got  to  do  all-fired 
quick.  How  is  this  for  an  eye-opener  ?" 
He  took  from  his  pocket  several  lumps  of 
shining  ore. 

"Sylvanite,"  exclaimed  Eayder.  "What 
does  it  run?" 

"Eighty  ounces  to  the  ton.  There  is  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars  on  the  dump 

198 


THE  TWO  OLD  BLACK  CROWS. 

and  the  fellows  think  it  is  copper  and 
pyrites  of  iron." 

"How  would  it  do  to  contest  the  claim!" 

"Dangerous  business,  they  have  taken 
to  killing  claim  jumpers.  One  was  shot 
last  week,  and  this  outfit  will  shoot,  no 
mistake.  It  is  better  to  buy  them  out  for 
a  song.  They  are  about  broke  anyway. 
They  believe  everything  I  tell  them,  have 
a  child-like  confidence  in  me,  same  as 
everybody  has.  I  tell  you,  Kayder,  I  stand 
at  the  top  in  the  estimation  of  everybody, 
and  all  we  have  got  to  do  is  to  have  the 
buyer  on  the  ground,  and  when  they  come 
in  with  their  next  samples  I  will  prove  to 
them  their  values  have  run  out,  show  them 
some  rich  stuff  from  down  the  valley  and 
like  all  others  of  their  class,  they  iwill 
stampede. ' ' 

"That  sounds  good,  but  tell  me  more  of 
Annie,  did  she  appreciate  the  cloak  I  sent 
her  for  a  Christmas  present?" 

"Appreciate  it!  I  should  say  she  did. 
She  just  worships  it  because  it  came  from 
you,  and  say,  she  has  your  photograph  on 

199 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

the  wall  where  she  can  see  it  all  the  time. 
She  just  dotes  on  that  picture.  I  tell  her 
there  is  the  chance  of  her  life,  a  fine  house, 
fine  clothes,  a  chance  to  go  abroad  and 
cultivate  her  musical  talent,  become  a 
great  singer  and  meet  dukes  and  lords  and 
crowned  heads.  Why,  the  girl  is  just  crazy 
over  you,  and  I  believe  she  would  marry 
you  even  if  you  did  not  have  a  cent.  It  is 
like  marrying  December  to  May,  you  sixty 
and  she  nineteen,  pretty  and  vivacious- 
warm  up  your  old  bones,  eh?" 

Kayder's  eyes  shone  and  he  stroked  his 
beard  with  delight.  " Charley,"  he  called 
to  his  office  boy,  "  bring  up  a  quart  of 
whisky,  some  lemons  and  sugar." 


< . 


;  Sweet  creature,  I  love  thee,"  said 
Amos  a  few  minutes  later,  holding  up  a 
half  goblet  of  whisky.  * '  You  do  the  proper 
thing  in  setting  out  these  kind  of  glasses ; 
puts  me  in  mind  of  my  old  home  down  in 
Texas,  where  we  never  drink  out  of  any- 
thing smaller  than  a  tin  cup  or  a  gourd." 
"Here  is  to  Annie  and  Eayder — may 

200 


THE  TWO  OLD  BLACK  CROWS. 

your    posterity    become    presidents    and 
wives  of  presidents." 

"Drink  hearty,"  said  Rayder,  emptying 
his  glass,  which  he  had  filled  to  the  fullness 
of  Amos'  out  of  compliment. 

"Charley,  bring  up  a  box  of  perfectos," 
he  shouted.  "You  may  then  lock  up  and 
go  home." 

The  glasses  were  again  drained  and  the 
two  black  crows  chattered  until  the  streets 
were  growing  quiet  for  the  night.  Supper 
was  forgotten  in  the  love  feast  of  Amos 
and  Eayder. 

"Do  you  know,  Amos,  I  always  did  love 
you  just  like  a  brother!" 

"Here,  too,  Kayder,  you  know  the  first 
time  we  saw  each  other,  I  sez  to  myself — I 
sez — there  is  a  man  that  would  stick  to  a 
friend  through  thick  and  thin." 

"You  are  that  kind  of  a  man  yourself. 
Amos,  is  the  reason  you  have  a  good  opin- 
ion of  me.  I  never  had  a  friend  in  dis 
tress  yet  that  I  didn't  help  him  out." 

"That's  right,  Eayder,  that's  right. 
Them's  the  qualities  that  go  to  make  up 

201 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

nature 's  noblemen.  Lord,  if  I  had  a  known 
you  years  ago  we'd  a  bin  millionaires — my 
knowledge  of  mines  and  your  sagacity. 
That's  what  counts,  and  you  never  fail  in 
your  estimate  of  men,  either.  Lord,  you 
was  born  under  lucky  stars. 

"Take  another  drink,  Bayder,  take  a 
cistern  full.  'Taint  often  we  meet  on  aus- 
picious occasions  like  this,  and  we  won't  go 
home  'till  mornin,'  and  we  won't  go  home 
'till  morning,  hie — hurrah  for  Annie,  Eay- 
der,  and  a  million  outer  the  mine. ' ' 

"An'  she  shame  short  of  share  of  pros- 
perity to  my  brother  Amos,"  and  Eayder 
took  another  drink. 

"Shay,  Eayder,  you  come  and  go  home 
with  me  and  hang  around  a  day  or  two 
until  you  buy  the  mine  and  play  sweet 
with  Annie,  an'  the  night  of  the  weddin' 
we'll  hev  a  dance  and  send  you  away  on 
your  bridal  tour  in  a  blaze  of  glory." 

"I'll  do  it,  I'll  do  it,  Amos,  an'  then 
we'll  be  almost  brothers  'cordin'  ter  law, 
anyway. ' ' 

"Shay,  Eayder,  did  I  tell  ye  I  had  a 

202 


THE  TWO  OLD  BLACK  CEOWS. 

little  mix  up  with  a  woman,  an'  I'm  scared 
to  death  'fear  old  woman  'ill  find  it  out. 
I  got  'ter  square  the  deal  or  I'm  a  goner 
and  stuff's  all  off,  want  yer  to  let  me  take 
ten  thousand  fer  few  days,  got  ter  blow  a 
lot  o'  money  on  weddin',  too,  yer  see." 

"All  right,  Amos,  youse's  square  a  man's 
ever  met.  I'll  let  ye  hev  it." 

"Good,  thet's  relief;  sooner  I  get  it  eas- 
ier mind '11  be.  Nuthin'  like  'mediate  action 
to  relieve  man's  mind,  you  know.  Let's 
take  nuther  drink  and  ye  can  write  th' 
check  with  steadier  hand." 

Rayder  swallowed  another  drink  while 
Amos  fumbled  about  the  desk  until  he 
found  Rayder 's  check  book. 

"Bet  ye  can't  spell  ten  without  making  a 
crook.  There  now,  if  you  can  write  thou- 
sand as  well  you're  a  peachareno.  Bully, 
now  write  Silas  Rayder  at  the  bottom. 
You're  a  brother  in  fact,  Rayder,  an'  I  love 
ye  better  as  any  brother.  Shay,  let's  hev 
nuther  bottle. ' ' 

And  Amos  pocketed  the  check  and  quietly 
slipped  down  stairs,  to  the  saloon  and  was 

203 


WHEEE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

back  with  another  quart  before  Eayder 
had  roused  from  his  drunken  stupor.  He 
poured  out  another  half  goblet  of  whisky. 

"Shay,  Rayder,  de  ye  know  about  story 
of  Guvner  of  North  Carolina  sed  to  Guvner 
of  South  Carolina,  to  effet  an'  words,  it 
was  long  time  between  drinks?" 

"An'  that  was  a  damn  shame  Guvner  hed 
to  wait,  ought  to  had  you  along  an '  famous 
epigram  ed  never  been  born. ' ' 

Half  an  hour  later  Rayder  was  stretched 
upon  the  lounge  in  the  little  back  office,  dead 
to  the  world.  Amos  sat  by  the  window 
sobering  up  until  the  grey  of  the  morning. 
The  sleeping  man  roused,  and  Amos  gave 
him  another  half  goblet  of  whisky  followed 
by  a  sip  of  water.  He  had  drawn  the 
blinds  and  left  the  coal-oil  lamp  burning 
when  it  grew  light,  lest  the  sleeping  man 
should  arouse  and  discover  it  was  daylight. 

When  the  office  boy  came,  he  cautioned 
him  not  to  awaken  Bayder.  He  then  crossed 
over  to  the  bank,  called  for  the  face  pay- 
ment of  the  check  in  gold  coin.  He  took 
the  money  to  the  Wells  Fargo  Express 

204 


THE  TWO  OLD  BLACK  CROWS. 

company's  office  and  expressed  it  to  his 
wife  in  Saguache. 

Rayder  was  sleeping  when  he  returned. 
He  placed  the  check  book  in  its  accustomed 
place  in  the  desk,  destroyed  all  evidence  of 
the  night's  debauch  and  left  a  note  on  the 
desk  saying:  "My  dear  Rayder,  I  have 
been  suddenly  called  home  by  the  illness  of 
my  wife.  Come  to  Saguache  as  soon  as 
you  can  make  it  convenient.  Amos." 

When  Rayder  awoke  it  was  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  His  head  was  in  a  whirl 
and  every  muscle  was  twitching.  He  called 
Charley  and  sent  for  a  doctor.  The  doctor 
saw  the  trouble  at  a  glance.  He  called  a 
hack  and  accompanied  Rayder  to  his  home. 

"This  will  never  do,  Mr.  Rayder.  You 
have  drank  much  whisky  in  your  time  and 
it  has  become  a  poison  to  your  system.  Do 
not  look  for  me  to  get  you  out  of  this  in  less 
time  than  four  weeks. ' ' 


205 


XXIV. 

THE  RECKLESS  HAND  OF  FATE. 

The  day  was  fair  when  Carson  left 
Saguache  with  pretty  Annie  Amos  seated 
beside  him  in  the  sleigh.  Although  he  had 
spent  the  night  in  fearful  anxiety,  walking 
the  streets,  he  now  felt  such  a  relief  over 
getting  out  of  town,  undiscovered  by  Mary 
Greenwater,  that  he  was  bubbling  over  with 
high  spirits.  In  the  presence  of  Annie  his 
better  nature  stood  outward  and  he  even 
surprised  himself  with  his  quick  sallies  of 
wit  and  repartee.  Annie  was  charmed  with 
his  presence,  and  as  the  two  chatted  gaily, 
they  did  not  notice  the  lowering  clouds 
about  the  Spanish  Peaks,  until  a  strong 
wind  began  to  raise  and  soon  one  of  those 
sudden  storms  so  common  to  the  region 
was  coming  in  all  its  fury.  In  a  short 
while  it  became  a  raging  blizzard.  The 

206 


THE  RECKLESS  HAND  OP  FATE. 

snow  drifted  in  blinding  swirls,  so  dense 
that  the  horse's  head  could  not  be  seen. 

Carson  had  experienced  the  blizzard  on 
the  range  and  knew  the  only  safe  course 
was  to  let  the  horse  have  the  reins,  and 
trust  to  its  animal  instinct  to  find  a  shelter. 
He  drew  the  robes  securely  about  Annie 
and  endeavored  to  allay  her  fears,  although 
conscious  of  the  peril  they  were  in.  The 
horse  was  plodding  its  way  through  the 
snow-drifts  and  it  was  evident  that  the 
animal  would  soon  become  exhausted.  The 
blizzard  might  last  all  night,  or  it  might 
continue  for  three  days.  On  those  track- 
less wastes  in  such  a  storm  death  by  freez- 
ing was  almost  certain,  unless  they  reached 
a  place  of  shelter.  The  hours  dragged  by. 
He  kept  up  an  incessant  talking  with 
Annie,  lest  she  should  fall  into  the  fatal 
sleep.  The  girl  was  quick  to  perceive  his 
tender  care,  and  in  full  apprehension  of 
their  danger,  felt  a  growing  confidence  in 
the  man  beside  her.  She  knew  that  he  fully 
realized  their  peril  and  admired  him  for 
his  efforts  to  conceal  his  fears  from  her. 


207 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

It  was  growing  darker  and  the  horse  was 
moving  with  feeble  steps.  Carson  was  at 
the  point  of  giving  vent  to  his  fears,  when 
the  animal  stopped.  He  left  the  sleigh. 
and  upon  going  to  the  horse's  head,  found 
they  were  beside  a  cabin.  His  heart  gave  a 
great  leap  of  joy  and  he  called  exultantly 
to  Annie. 

The  cabin  was  deserted,  but,  praise 
Providence,  it  was  shelter.  The  door 
swung  open  on  its  hinges.  There  was  a 
fireplace  with  some  half-burned  logs  in  a 
heap  of  ashes.  When  Annie  was  securely 
inside,  he  brought  in  the  robes  from  the 
sleigh  and  next  unhitched  the  horse  and 
brought  the  animal  inside  the  cabin  This 
made  Annie 's  heart  leap  with  joy ;  she  had 
not  considered  how  they  would  protect  the 
horse,  and  this  humane  act  on  the  part  of 
Carson  gave  her  the  most  implicit  confi- 
dence in  the  man.  There  is  nothing  to 
fear  from  a  man  who  is  so  kind  to  animals, 
was  her  mental  comment. 

Soon  there  was  a  blazing  fire  on  the 
hearth.  Some  poles  were  found  by  the 

208 


THE  RECKLESS  HAND  OF  FATE. 

door.  These  Carson  dug  from  the  snow, 
and  brought  inside.  He  had  no  axe 
with  which  to  cut  them,  and  in  the  emer- 
gency, he  laid  the  ends  together  in  the  fire 
slantwise  from  the  chimney,  and  as  they 
burned  away,  he  shoved  the  logs  forward. 
The  wind  screamed  in  wildest  fury,  while 
the  snow  drifted  in  through  the  rough  clap- 
board roof. 

Until  now  no  thought  had  been  given  to 
the  lunch  which  Annie  had  prepared  for 
the  trip.  She  brought  it  out  from  among 
the  wraps  and  when  Carson  gave  the  horse 
a  buttered  biscuit  as  his  share  of  the  meal, 
she  watched  the  act  with  a  thrill  of  glad- 
ness. The  blazing  logs  gave  warmth  and 
light,  and  the  man  and  woman  sat  and 
talked  throughout  the  long  watches  of  the 
night,  while  the  snow  drifted  and  the  wind 
screamed  and  roared,  making  the  loose 
clapboards  of  the  roof  creak  and  groan. 

There  these  two,  thrown  together  by  the 
reckless  hand  of  fate,  told  incidents  of 
their  lives  and  won  the  love  and  sympathy 
of  each  other.  A  new  song  was  born  in 

209 


WHEKE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

Carson's  breast.  For  a  moment  he 
seemed  to  remember  a  former  life;  some- 
where out  in  the  wide,  white  waste  and 
hush  of  infinite  space,  where  they  had 
known  each  other  and  now  their  souls  im- 
prisoned in  forms  of  clay,  they  had  met  by 
chance  and  renewed  an  old  affinity. 

As  she  told  him  the  simple  story  of  her 
life,  he  listened  with  ever-increasing  inter- 
est. An  orphan  at  an  early  age,  she  had 
since  lived  in  the  home  of  her  Uncle  Amos. 
Everything  had  gone  well  until  the  last 
year,  when  her  uncle  brought  Rayder  to 
their  home  and  insisted  that  she  should  re- 
gard him  as  a  suitor  for  her  hand.  Ray 
der,  old  and  grey,  had  dyed  his  whiskers 
and  tried  to  appear  boyish.  His  intentions 
were  well  enough — he  would  give  her  all 
she  would  ask  that  money  could  purchase 
— but  she  could  not  love  the  man  and  could 
never  think  of  becoming  his  wife.  Amos, 
her  uncle,  was  a  man  of  avarice  and  greed. 
He  insisted  that  it  was  a  duty  she  owed 
him  for  his  fatherly  care  in  bringing  her 
up.  He  dwelt  on  the  advantages  it  would 

210 


THE  RECKLKSS  HAND  OF  FATE. 

be  to  him  in  his  old  age  and  that  it  would 
be  only  right  for  her  to  help  him  in  this 
way.  He  had  appealed  to  her  generous 
nature  and  sought  to  make  her  believe  this 
sacrifice  on  her  part  would  be  just  and 
right.  Amos'  wife  had  taken  the  same 
view  of  the  matter  and  urged  that  the  wed- 
ding should  be  at  an  early  date.  Annie, 
alone  in  the  world,  had  no  one  to  whom 
she  could  go  for  counsel.  Some  of  the 
coarse  women  of  the  mining  camp  who 
came  to  their  home  thought  her  the  most 
fortunate  of  girls  to  have  a  suitor  as  rich  as 
Rayder,  and  ridiculed  the  idea  of  her  re- 
fusing to  accept  the  greatest  opportunity 
of  her  life.  Some  of  their  husbands  were 
rough,  uncouth  men,  who  cared  nothing  for 
the  luxuries  of  a  home,  spent  most  of  their 
money  and  time  drinking  and  gambling  at 
the  Lone  Tree,  and  they  gauged  conditions 
as  they  were  with  themselves.  They  were 
honest-hearted  women  of  the  frontier  who 
believed  they  were  doing  the  girl  a  kind- 
ness. It  was  not  through  bravery  that  she 
was  cool  and  collected,  yesterday,  in  the 

211 


WHEEB  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

presence  of  death  from  the  lions,  she  told 
him,  but  because  she  had  almost  made  up 
her  mind  that  she  did  not  care.  Death  had 
lost  its  terrors  in  the  contemplation  of  im- 
pending fate. 

He  did  not  tell  her  of  the  burden  of  his 
heart.  He  did  not  feel  that  he  dared  to  ask 
for  sympathy.  At  that  hour  he  would 
have  given  ten  years  of  his  life  to  undo  his 
marriage  with  Mary  Greenwater  by  the  an- 
cient custom  of  the  Swiftest  Horse.  He 
knew  the  Indian  woman  and  knew  that  she 
intended  to  kill  him  and  yet  he  felt  help- 
less, powerless.  He  did  tell  the  girl  beside 
him  that  he,  too,  was  alone  in  the  world 
and  hoped  to  merit  the  love  of  a  good  wo- 
man and  that  his  every  act  in  life  should 
go  to  prove  his  sincerity.  And  so,  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  the  night,  they  talked. 

At  noon  the  following  day,  the  storm 
abated  and  when  the  flurries  of  snow  had 
ceased  they  saw  the  town  of  Del  Norte  well 
down  on  the  plain. 

Annie  was  received  at  the  home  of  her 
friends  with  delight  and  when  she  told  him 

212 


THE  RECKLESS  HAND  OF  FATE. 

of  her  recent  adventures,  they  gave  ex- 
pression to  heartfelt  joy  for  Annie's 
safety,  and  called  Carson  a  hero. 

Carson  did  not  leave  Del  Norte  for  six 
weeks.  Meanwhile,  Annie  visited  her 
friends.  When  the  two  were  not  together 
in  the  cozy  parlor  at  Annie's  host's,  Car- 
son kept  close  in  his  room  at  the  hotel.  He 
wanted  to  delay  the  meeting  with  Mary 
Greenwater  as  long  as  possible.  If  she  was 
only  a  man, — ah,  that  would  be  different! 
It  would  then  be  knife  to  knife,  or  bullet 
to  bullet — he  would  not  shrink.  But  she 
was  a  woman,  an  educated  Indian  woman 
upon  whom  society  had  some  claim,  and 
she  had  some  claim  upon  it. 

Annie  promised  to  become  his  wife  and 
it  was  arranged  that  she  should  return  to 
her  uncle's  home,  and  as  soon  as  he  could 
arrange  his  affairs  at  the  mine  they  would 
go  to  an  eastern  state.  He  first  intended, 
however,  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  the 
Mary  Greenwater  affair,  and  trust  his  fate 
to  her  love  for  him. 

When  he  reached  the  foot  of  the  Sangre 


213 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

de  Christo  range,  through  the  great  depths 
of  snow,  he  saw  the  fearful  havoc  of  the 
snow  slide  and  noted  the  slanting  position 
of  the  edgewise  cliff.  Thinking  it  was  of 
but  recent  occurence,  he  hurried  to 
Saguache  and  gave  the  alarm  that  two  of 
his  companions  were  buried  beneath  the 
mountain  of  snow. 

In  no  place  in  the  world  does  an  appeal 
for  help  meet  with  a  quicker  response 
than  among  the  pioneers  of  the  west.  The 
news  flew  over  the  town  like  wildfire  that 
two  miners  were  imprisoned  in  a  snow 
slide.  A  relief  party  was  organized  at 
once  and  Carson  led  them  to  the  base  of 
the  range. 

Mary  Greenwater  saw  Carson  organiz- 
ing the  relief,  she  stood  within  a  few  feet 
of  him  unobserved,  and  could  have  shot 
him,  but  she  knew  better  than  shoot  a  man 
in  the  act  of  aiding  the  distressed.  The 
crowd  would  hang  her,  woman  or  no  wo- 
man, and  she  knew  it.  Some  other  time 
than  this — she  would  wait. 


214 


XXV. 

COEDS  OF  LOVE  ABE  STRONG. 

Hattie  Judson  sat  by  the  window  over- 
looking the  green  wheat  fields  of  the  Los 
Ossis  valley.  The  bells  in  the  old  mission 
were  calling  the  humble  worshippers  of  the 
valley,  just  as  they  had  done  for  more  than 
one  hundred  and  forty  years.  She 
watched  the  blue  haze  of  the  valley  grow- 
ing denser  in  the  shadows  of  the  evening. 
She  heard  the  low  boom  of  a  signal  gun  roll 
up  from  the  sea.  It  was  from  the  coast 
steamer  in  the  open  roadstead,  the  signal 
she  was  listening  for  in  the  hope  that  it 
would  bring  her  a  letter — the  letter  for 
which  she  had  been  waiting  for  six  weeks. 

The  shadows  from  the  coast  hills  crept 
up  the  valley,  and  the  stars  shone,  when 
the  whistle  of  the  little  narrow-guage  en- 
gine announced  its  arrival  from  the  port. 
She  put  on  her  wraps  and  went  to  the  post- 
office  and  waited  a  good  long  hour  before 
the  mail  was  distributed.  There  was  noth- 


215 


WHEBE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

ing  in  her  box  except  the  San  Francisco  pa- 
per. And  yet  she  felt  intuitively  there 
must  be  some  news.  She  returned  to  her 
home  with  a  vague  feeling  of  dread  and  lit 
the  parlor  lamp.  Mechanically  she  scanned 
the  headlines  of  the  paper  when  her  eye 
caught  the  line: 
"Imprisoned  Miners  in  Snowslide; 

Relief  Party  Working  Night  and  Day." 

"Saguache,  Colo. — Word  reached  here 
last  night  that  John  Buchan  and  James 
Winslow,  miners  working  a  claim  on  the 
Sangre  de  Christo  range,  were  buried  in 
their  cabin  beneath  a  snow  slide.  It  is  be- 
lieved the  men  are  alive  although  there 
seems  to  be  small  hope  of  rescuing  them 
on  account  of  an  overhanging  cliff  which 
may  topple  at  any  moment,  with  the  melt- 
ing snows  and  crush  them  out  of  existence. 
Eescue  parties  are  at  work  night  and  day. ' ' 

The  room  seemed  to  whirl  and  grow  dark 
as  she  finished  reading.  Tears  came  to 
her  eyes  and  she  cried  aloud.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  family  came  to  find  the  cause 
of  her  outcry  and  found  her  in  a  flood  of 

216 


CORDS  OF  LOVE  ARE  STRONG. 

tears.  They  read  the  dispatch  and  knew 
the  cause.  The  paper  was  two  days  old 
from  San  Francisco.  What  could  she  dot 
She  must  know  at  once.  She  went  to  the 
telegraph  office  and  sent  a  message  of  in- 
quiry to  the  mayor  of  Saguache.  It  was 
twelve  o'clock  when  the  message  came: 
"Lines  all  down  in  San  Luis  valley." 
There  was  a  telegraph  line  to  San  Louis 
Obispo,  but  no  coast  line  railroad  nearer 
than  Paso  Kobles  Hot  Springs,  sixty 
miles  inland.  It  would  be  three  days  before 
there  was  another  steamer  for  San  Fran- 
cisco. She  felt  that  if  she  waited  the  susi 
pense  would  kill  her.  She  must  go  to 
Saguache. 

In  the  grey  of  the  morning  she  was, 
seated  beside  a  driver  in  a  light  running 
rig  behind  the  swiftest  pair  of  horses  in 
the  town.  The  northern  express  was  due 
at  noon  and  the  distance  of  sixty  miles 
must  be  made.  The  fleet  animals  climbed 
the  mountain  slopes  and  crossed  the  divide 
of  the  Santa  Lucia  range,  and  went  speed- 
ing through  the  beautiful  Santa  Maurgarite 

217 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

valley  with  its  carpet  of  green,  enlivened 
with  splashes  of  yellow  from  the  wild  mus- 
tard blossoms.  Across  the  swift  flowing 
ford  of  the  Salinis  river,  through  deep  ra- 
vines and  mountain  gorges,  and  over  miles 
and  miles  of  sun-baked  sand  and  dreary 
waste  of  stunted  cactus  and  sagebrush,  the 
horses  sped. 

The  scorched  winds  of  the  desert  caught 
up  the  sands  and  hurled  them  hot  into  their 
faces  and  stung  them  like  tiny  sparks. 

Dripping  with  foam  the  horses  were 
reined  up  at  the  depot  platform  in  just 
five  hours  and  fifty  minutes  from  the  time 
of  starting — a  record  that  stands  in  San 
Louis  Obispo  today  as  the  best  ever  made, 
and  that  too  by  a  big-hearted  western  man 
who  did  it  only  to  aid  a  woman  in  distress. 

The  train  sped  over  miles  of  brown  and 
parched  desert,  studded  with  a  growth  of 
palms  that  rattled  in  the  sultry  wind  like 
dried  sunflower  stalks.  The  scenes  were 
scarcely  noticed  by  Hattie  as  she  sat  in  the 
coach  busied  with  her  own  thoughts.  The 
train  was  an  express  but  it  seemed  to  her 

218 


COEDS  OF  LOVE  ARE  STRONG. 

to  creep  along.  The  rumble  of  the  wheels 
clanking  on  the  iron  rails  seemed  to  say: 
"You'll  be  too  late,  you'll  be  too  late." 

At  Sacramento  there  was  a  wait  of  four 
hours  for  the  east  bound  express,  and  Hat- 
tie  sat  in  the  depot  where  she  could  watch 
the  clock,  tick,  tock,  tick,  tock — swinging 
the  pendulum  in  these  moments  of  suspense 
and  waiting.  Those  monotonous  sounds 
persistently  repeated  the  single  theme,  sec- 
onds were  born  and  ushered  into  eternity 
with  the  slow  swing  of  the  pendulum ;  every 
tick  brought  the  time  of  starting  nearer, 
but  the  pendulum  swung  so  slow. 

Those  four  hours  watching  the  clock 
were  the  most  tedious  of  her  life.  When 
the  time  was  drawing  nigh  and  the  waiting 
passengers  were  stirring  about,  the  man 
in  the  ticket  office  came  out  and  wrote 
upon  the  blackboard,  ' '  East  bound  Express 
two  hours  late. ' ' 

Again  the  slow  swinging  pendulum  sent 
a  torrent  of  woe  to  the  unhappy  girl,  and 
when  the  train  rolled  into  the  yards  she 
felt  as  though  she  had  lived  within  sound 
of  that  clock  for  a  year. 

219 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

The  green  valley  changed  to  the  red 
earth  of  the  foothills,  still  showing  signs  of 
the  gold  hunters  of  1849.  The  puffing  and 
wheezing  of  the  engine  told  they  were 
climbing  steep  grades,  and  soon  they  were 
in  the  snows  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  moun- 
tains. The  train  entered  the  forty-two 
mile  snow  shed  and  when  half  way  through 
struck  a  hand  car,  derailing  the  engine. 

It  was  day  without,  but  dark  within  the 
sheds.  A  kindly  woman  with  her  daughter 
occupied  the  berth  opposite  Hattie.  She 
noticed  the  troubled  look  on  the  girl's  face 
and  from  that  time  on  until  they  separated 
at  Cheyenne,  did  everything  she  could  to 
make  the  journey  pleasant.  But  there  was 
the  ever  present  suspense  and  doubt. 

It  was  ten  hours  before  the  train  was 
again  under  way,  but  they  had  lost  the 
right  of  way  on  the  road  and  were  com- 
pelled to  make  frequent  stops  on  the  sid- 
ings to  allow  other  trains  to  pass. 

As  the  train  skirted  the  Great  Salt  Lake 
with  its  bleak  and  desolate  islands  of  rock 
rising  in  silhouette  against  the  cold  grey 

220 


CORDS  OF  LOVE  ARE  STRONG. 

skies,  Hattie  compared  the  scene  to  the 
feeling  of  utter  desolation  within  her  soul. 

A  storm  was  raging  on  the  Laramie 
plains  and  when  the  snow  plow,  driven  by 
the  tremendous  force  of  an  extra  engine  in 
front,  stuck  fast  in  the  snow,  she  began 
to  have  some  conception  of  the  mighty 
force  of  an  avalanche,  and  the  difficulty  of 
reaching  imprisoned  men  beneath  its 
weight. 

The  railroad  ended  at  a  little  station  in 
the  San  Luis  valley  and  then  followed 
many  miles  of  staging  in  a  crowded  coach. 
Everywhere  the  girl  met  with  the  most  pro- 
found respect  and  attention  from  fellow 
passengers.  She  was  always  given  the 
best  seat  in  the  coach,  and  otherwise  made 
as  comfortable  as  circumstances  would  per- 
mit. Such  was  the  gallantry  of  these  men 
of  the  frontier  to  the  girl  who  was  travel- 
ing alone. 

At  the  last  stage  station  before  reaching 
Saguache,  she  heard  men  talking  of  the 
imprisoned  miners  in  the  Sangre  de  Christo 
mountains,  but  she  was  unable  to  learn 


221 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

any  of  the  particulars  other  than  that  the 
relief  party  was  still  working.  When,  at 
last,  she  alighted  at  the  hotel  in  Saguache 
her  first  question  was  concerning  the  im- 
prisoned men.  They  will  have  them  out 
in  a  few  days  if  nothing  happens  was  the 
assurance  given  by  the  landlady.  ''They 
are  alive,  we  know,  for  we  can  see  the 
smoke  coming  out  from  under  the  rock. ' ' 

The  two  men  under  the  snow  slide  had 
been  the  talk  of  the  town  for  days.  Every 
day  a  new  party  went  to  the  scene  to  re- 
lieve those  who  had  worked  the  day  and 
night  before,  tunneling  up  the  steep  moun- 
tain side  through  snow  of  an  unknown 
depth. 

When  Hattie  reached  the  tunnel  she 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  go  to  the  end  of  it 
where  the  men  were  working.  She  was  as- 
sisted up  the  mountain  side  by  willing 
hands  and  when  she  reached  the  workers 
one  of  them  said :  '  *  The  boys  are  all  right 
for  we  can  hear  their  voices." 

It  was  then  she  gave  an  exclamation  of 
joy,  and  when  Buchan  said  to  me  in  the  ca- 
bin, "It  seems  that  I  hear  her  voice,"  he 
was  right. 

222 


XXVI. 

WHEN  THE  DEATH  GLOOM  GATHERS. 

Amos  staggered  out  of  the  fog  of  powder 
smoke  and  groped  his  way  to  the  door.  He 
took  the  center  of  the  street  reeling  as  he 
went,  and  made  his  way  to  his  home.  The 
scenes  at  the  Bucket  of  Blood  were  magni- 
fied in  his  whisky-crazed  brain.  He  raved 
in  wild  delirium,  fighting  the  demons  that 
gathered  around  his  bedside.  The  doctor 
came  and  shook  his  head.  "He  has  been 
drinking  so  long  that  my  medicine  will  not 
act,"  he  said.  Amos  glared  wildly  from 
his  bloodshot  eyes  when  a  monkey  seemed 
to  leap  on  the  footboard.  He  held  a  glass 
in  his  hand.  "Have  a  cocktail,  Amos,"  said 
the  monkey,  as  he  tossed  the  liquid  into  the 
air  and  caught  it  in  another  glass.  Amos' 
throat  was  parched  and  he  wanted  the  cock- 
tail, but  the  monkey  did  not  give  it  to  him. 
A  rhinoceros  came  creeping  through  the 

223 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

wall  and  looked  at  him  with  its  leaden  eyes. 
The  monkey  tossed  the  cocktail  into  the 
wide  open  mouth  of  the  rhinoceros,  who 
smacked  his  lips  and  said  to  the  monkey, 
"Let's  play  ante  over." 

"All  right,"  replied  the  monkey,  "what 
with?" 

' '  Get  his  eye,  get  his  eye, ' '  exclaimed  the 
rhinoceros. 

The  monkey  crept  forward  and  plucked 
out  one  of  Amos'  eyes,  as  he  groaned  and 
yelled.  For  awhile  the  rhinoceros  was  on 
one  side  of  the  dresser  and  the  monkey  on 
the  other,  tossing  his  eye  to  and  fro  be- 
tween them.  The  scene  changed.  He  was 
on  a  white  horse,  plunging  down  a  steep 
rocky  road  lined  with  trees  on  either  side ; 
pythons  and  rattlesnakes  reached  out  from 
among  the  branches  striking  their  fangs  at 
his  head.  There  was  the  form  of  a  dead 
woman  behind  him  on  the  horse.  Her  cold 
arms  clung  about  his  neck  as  little  devils 
came  out  from  behind  the  trees  and 
shouted:  "You  did  it;  you  did  it."  The 
horse  was  now  plunging  over  a  snow-cov- 

224 


WHEN  THE  DEATH  GLOOM  GATHERS. 

ered  country.  He  felt  the  icy  winds  chill 
his  heart.  He  was  trying  to  shake  off  the 
dead  arms  that  clung  to  his  neck,  when 
the  horse  stopped  in  a  wild  spot  among  the 
rocks.  A  grave  digger,  with  the  flesh  of 
face  and  arms  dried  to  the  bone,  appeared. 
"We  will  bury  her  here,"  he  said  as  he 
sunk  his  spade  into  the  earth.  As  the  grave 
digger  threw  up  the  clods  they  turned  to 
little  devils,  the  size  of  frogs  and  yelped, 
* '  We  are  the  sins  of  Amos  come  out  of  the 
grave."  The  vision  passed  and  another 
appeared.  Three  Sisters  of  Charity  stood 
at  the  footboard  of  his  bed.  They  were 
looking  down  on  him  with  sorrowful  eyes. 
One  of  them  lifted  her  hand  and  all  was  a 
livid  flame.  Amos  raised  his  head  and 
gave  one  prolonged  shriek.  A  shriek  of 
death. 

When  Amos  returned  to  Saguache  after 
his  spree  with  Eayder  his  first  act  was  to 
purchase  a  ranch  in  the  San  Luis  valley 
and  deed  it  to  his  wife.  He  then  went  to 
his  assay  office  and  drew  down  the  blinds 
and  sat  in  the  shadows  like  a  cunning  old 

225 


WHEKE  STKONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

spider  in  hiding  waiting  for  the  unwary 
fly  for  which  he  had  wove  his  web.  His  life 
had  been  that  of  the  iconoclast  who  creates 
nothing  to  adorn  the  world's  great  gallery 
of  gods.  But  he  was  not  philosophical 
enough  to  evolve  an  idea  that  would  dis- 
rupt existing  beliefs. 

It  was  some  weeks  after  his  arrival 
home,  when  he  espied  Rayder  one  morning 
coming  down  the  street  towards  his  office. 
He  cautiously  turned  the  key  in  his  office 
and  slipped  over  to  the  Bucket  of  Blood 
and  returned  with  some  beer  and  two 
quart  bottles  of  whisky.  When  Rayder 
returned  an  hour  later  he  was  maudlin 
drunk. 

Rayder  was  still  pale  from  the  effects 
of  his  recent  debauch  and  when  he  found 
Amos  in  an  intoxicated  condition  he  went 
away,  not  caring  to  stay  and  talk  with  him 
on  important  business  matters  lest  he 
should  get  drawn  into  another  spree. 
Meanwhile,  Carson  had  arrived  and  spread 
the  news  of  the  imprisoned  miners  under 
the  snow  slide.  Rayder  learned  that  this 

226 


WHEN  THE  DEATH  GLOOM  GATHERS. 

was  the  mine  he  had  come  to  purchase 
through  the  connivance  of  Amos  and  con- 
cluded to  wait  and  see  what  time  would  de- 
velop. 

Day  after  day  he  sought  Amos,  but  the 
latter  was  too  drunk  to  talk  with  any  sense. 
He  then  sought  Carson  and  offered  finan- 
cial assistance  in  the  rescue  work,  but  the 
men  spurned  the  offer.  They  felt  they  were 
doing  a  God-given  duty  and  to  receive 
money  for  an  act  of  that  kind  would  be  de- 
basing their  manhood.  Such  was  it  then 
and  such  is  now  the  spirit  of  the  West.  He 
called  at  the  Amos  home,  and  while  he  was 
received  by  the  matron  and  failed  to  see 
Annie,  he  thought  he  detected  an  air  of  dis- 
tress in  the  surroundings,  and  attributed  it 
to  Amos'  condition.  Feeling  that  he  was 
at  their  home  at  an  inopportune  time,  he 
went  away  and  started  out  to  find  Amos 
and  if  possible  persuade  him  to  quit  drink- 
ing. Not  finding  him  at  his  office  he  took 
a  nearer  route  and  entered  the  Bucket  of 
Blood  by  the  back  door.  He  passed  two  or 
three  hoboes  sitting  on  beer  kegs  on  the 

227 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

outside.  "Say,  old  timer,  can't  I  dig  into 
ye  for  two  bits  ? ' '  asked  one.  The  man  was 
trembly  and  his  lips  quivered  as  he  spoke. 
Eemembering  his  own  recent  condition 
Eayder  handed  the  fellow  a  dollar  and  mo- 
tioning to  the  others,  said:  "Divide  up." 
The  men  jumped  to  their  feet  with  alacrity 
and  followed  the  first  man  to  the  bar. 

Rayder  walked  to  the  faro  table  where 
Amos  sat  with  his  back  to  him  putting 
down  twenty  dollar  gold  pieces  on  the 
money.  "I  never  squeal,"  Amos  was  say- 
ing to  another  man  who  was  drawing  out 
the  cards  from  the  box.  * '  Bet  yer  life,  man 
wins  my  money  I  never  squeal, ' '  Amos  was 
saying  to  the  dealer.  '  *  Got  skads  of  it  any- 
how, and  when  that's  gone  I  know  where  to 
get  a  mine  worth  more  an'  a  million." 
Rayder  stood  watching  the  player  tossing 
twenty  after  twenty  in  gold  and  tapping  a 
tiny  bell  now  and  then  when  a  waiter  came 
and  took  the  orders  from  those  seated 
around  the  table  watching  the  game.  They 
all  called  for  whisky  except  the  dealer,  he 

228 


WHEN  THE  DEATH  GLOOM  GATHERS. 

took  a  cigar.    It  requires  a  clear  head  to 
deal  faro. 

Rayder  grew  tired  of  watching  and  sat 
down.  He  was  thinking  where  did  Amos 
get  so  much  money!  He  had  not  attended 
to  the  business  of  his  office  since  his  recov- 
ery and  had  had  no  occasion  to  look  into 
his  check  book.  After  a  certain  period  of 
the  night  with  Amos  in  his  back  office, 
everything  was  a  blank.  He  remembered 
the  conversation  about  Annie  and  the  mine 
but  had  no  recollection  about  signing  the 
check.  To  see  Amos  sitting  at  that  table 
losing  money  like  a  prince  at  Monte  Carlo, 
almost  took  his  breath.  He  began  to  feel 
certain  now  as  to  the  fabulous  riches  of  the 
mine,  for  he  could  conceive  of  no  other  way 
by  which  Amos  could  get  possession  of  so 
much  money.  He  had  learned  of  Mrs.  Amos 
purchasing  the  ranch  and  paying  for  it  in 
gold,  and  wondered  at  the  time.  Then  he 
thought  that  perhaps  Amos  was  trying  to 
throw  him  off  the  purchase  of  the  mine  in 
order  to  secure  the  property  himself.  There 

229 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

was  a  mystery  somewhere  he  could  not 
fathom. 

The  board  partition  against  which  he  sat 
was  thin,  and  while  he  was  not  playing 
evesdropper,  he  could  not  help  hearing: 
"The  secret  of  that  mine  has  been  known 
to  me  since  I  was  a  child,"  a  woman  was 
saying,  "but  I  never  supposed  Carson 
would  locate  it  when  I  gave  him  the  pa- 
pers. "  And  then  she  recounted  the  story 
of  the  hidden  Spanish  treasure  in  the 
Grand  river  hills  and  continued:  "The 
two  men  they  are  trying  to  rescue  from 
under  the  snow  slide  are  dead  long  ago  and 
the  only  one  left  that  is  interested  is  Car- 
son. I  will  get  him  out  of  the  way,  and  you 
must  file  on  the  claim,  I  cannot,  for  I  am  an 
Indian,  but  you  can.  Besides,  I  could  never 
sing  my  death  song  in  peace  if  he  lives." 

"Tonight,  then,"  her  companion  said. 
"You  had  better  act  before  matters  go 
any  farther." 

Here  was  another  revelation  to  Eayder, 
he  saw  coming  through  one  archway  an 
Indian  woman,  and  through  the  other, 

230 


WHEN  THE  DEATH  GLOOM  GATHERS. 

Coyote  Jim  who  slowly  walked  toward  the 
faro  table.  Rayder's  first  and  best  impulse 
was  to  see  Carson  and  warn  him  of  im- 
pending danger.  His  second  thought  was 
that  such  a  course  would  be  bad  financial 
policy.  No.  he  would  let  the  woman  kill 
him  if  she  could  and  he  would  jump  the 
claim  himself.  He  was  certain  now  of  its 
fabulous  value  and  determined  to  have  it 
at  any  price. 

And  so  the  old  black  crow  sat  and  waited 
and  plotted,  while  the  other  old  black  crow 
gambled  away  his  money,  and  when  the 
shooting  was  over,  and  the  coal  oil  lamps 
flickered  their  sickly  flame  through  the 
curling  powder  smoke,  Eayder  was  raised 
from  the  floor  where  he  had  flattened  him- 
self against  the  baseboard,  trembling  like  a 
frightened  sheep  about  to  be  led  to  the 
slaughter. 


231 


XXVII. 

A  NIGHT  OF  TRAGEDIES. 

The  Lone  Tree  saloon  and  dance  hall 
was  ablaze  with  lights.  Two  bar-keepers 
in  white  jackets  were  setting  out  the  bot- 
tles over  the  long,  polished  counter.  There 
was  the  clink  of  glasses,  as  men  stood  in 
rows  drinking  the  amber-colored  liquid. 
"Have  another  on  me,"  was  frequently 
heard  along  the  counter,  as  someone  felt  it 
was  his  turn  to  set  up  the  drinks  to  the 
crowd. 

A  brawny  miner  stepped  up  to  the  side 
of  a  sheep  herder  who  had  been  edging  in 
all  evening  to  get  free  drinks — and  squirt- 
ed a  mouthful  of  tobacco  juice  in  his  ear. 

"If  anybody  else  had  done  that  but  you, 
Bill,  I'd  be  tempted  to  strike  him." 

"Don't  let  your  friendship  for  me  spoil 
your  notions,"  the  miner  said  with  a  con- 
temptuous look. 

The  sheep  herder  made  no  reply,  as  he 
wiped  his  ear.  The  fire  that  burned  in  his 

232 


A  NIGHT  OF  TRAGEDIES. 

stomach  demanded  whiskey,  and  he  would 
brook  any  insult  to  get  it.  He  had  reached 
the  level  of  the  sodden,  and  others  passed 
him  by.  It  was  yet  early  in  the  night,  and 
crowds  were  gathering  in  the  rear  of  the 
large  room,  about  the  roulette  wheel,  the 
crap  tables  and  faro  layout,  back  of  which 
the  lookout  was  seated  on  a  raised  plat- 
form. Stacks  of  coin  in  gold  and  silver 
were  on  the  tables  to  tempt  the  players. 
At  other  tables  men  were  seated  playing 
cards  and  smoking.  In  an  adjoining  room, 
cut  with  archways,  was  the  dance  hall.  An 
orchestra  on  a  platform  played  rag-time 
music,  while  painted  women  in  short  dress- 
es to  give  them  a  youthful  appearance,  sat 
on  benches  against  the  wall,  or  danced  with 
swaggering  men  to  the  calls  of  a  brawny 
bullet-headed  floor  manager.  His  bleared 
eyes  and  heavy  swollen  jaw  showed  the  ef- 
fects of  a  recent  debauch  ending  in  a  fist 
fight. 

The  women  urged  their  partners  to  drink 
at  the  end  of  every  dance.  While  the  men 
drank  whiskey,  they  gave  the  bar-keepers  a 

233 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

knowing  look,  and  a  bottle  like  the  others 
was  set  out  containing  ginger  ale  which 
the  women  drank  as  whiskey,  and  were  giv- 
en a  check,  which  they  afterwards  cashed 
as  their  percentage. 

While  the  sign  on  the  windows  read  The 
Lone  Tree  Saloon  and  Dance  Hall,  the 
place  had  earned  the  sobriquet  of  the 
Bucket  of  Blood,  from  the  many  tragedies 
enacted  therein.  And  this  place  was  run 
by  a  woman,  Calamity  Jane,  famous  in  sev- 
eral mining  camps.  One  fellow  analyzed 
her  when  he  said:  "She  is  a  powerful 
good  woman,  except  she  hain't  got  no 
moral  character. ' ' 

Coyote  Jim,  faro  dealer,  sauntered  in 
and  took  his  place  at  the  table.  His  eyes 
were  a  steel  blue,  the  kind  that  men  inured 
to  the  mining  camps  of  the  early  west  had 
learned  were  dangerous.  His  face  was  thin 
and  white,  hair  of  a  black  blue,  like  a 
raven's  wing,  hung  half  way  to  his  shoul- 
ders. His  thin  hands  handled  the  paste- 
boards in  the  box  with  a  dexterity  that 
marked  him  an  expert.  Supple  in  form, 

234 


A  NIGHT  OF  TRAGEDIES. 

with  quick,cat-like  motions,  he  made  one 
think  of  a  tiger. 

A  dark  faced  woman  wearing  a  Spanish 
mantilla  was  winning  at  the  roulette  wheel. 
The  onlookers  crowded  about.  She  was 
winning  almost  every  bet.  The  interest 
grew  intense,  men  crowded  forward  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  her  whose  marvelous 
luck  surpassed  anything  in  the  history  of 
the  Lone  Tree.  Her  stack  of  chips  of  white, 
red  and  blue,  grew  taller  at  every  turn  of 
the  wheel.  The  face  of  the  gambler  at  the 
wheel  grew  vexed  and  then  flushed  with 
anger.  The  devil  appeared  to  have'  been 
turned  loose  and  he  was  losing  his  stakes. 
The  chips  vanished  from  his  box  in  twen- 
ties, fifties  and  hundreds,  and  the  group 
of  onlookers  stared  in  astonishment.  As 
he  counted  out  his  last  hundred  he  said: 
"If  you  win  this  you  have  broke  the  game." 

The  woman  lost  and  the  gambler  began 
to  have  hope,  when  she  won  again,  and  so 
the  pendulum  of  chance  swung  to  and  fro 
over  those  last  hundred  chips  for  an  hour, 
when  the  gambler  slammed  the  lid  of  his 

235 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

box  with  the  exclamation:  "You  have 
busted  the  game ! ' ' 

The  woman  cashed  in  her  checks.  Over 
five  thousand  dollars  was  paid  to  her.  She 
walked  up  to  the  bar  and  threw  down  five 
hundred  dollars  on  the  counter  and  said  to 
a  bar-tender : 

"I  pay  for  everybody's  drinks  here  to- 
night. Take  no  money  from  any  of  them 
and  when  this  runs  short,  call  on  me. ' ' 

The  word  was  passed,  "Free  drinks  at 
the  bar,"  and  the  crowd  surged  forward. 
A  half -tipsy  fellow  raised  his  glass  above 
the  heads  of  others.  "Here's  to  Mary 
Greenwater,  Queen  of  the  Cherokee  In- 
dians !" 

"Rah  fer  Mary  Greenwater,"  chattered 
old  Amos,  holding  his  reeling  form  up  by 
the  bar  rail. 

The  invitation  was  even  too  much  for 
Eayder,  strong  as  had  been  his  resolution 
to  let  the  stuff  alone.  The  temptation  of 
free  drinks  was  too  great,  he  imagined  he 
needed  something  and  called  for  gin. 

Just  then,  some  one  came   in   and   an- 


236 


A.  NIGHT  OF  TBAGEDEES. 

nounced  that  the  two  men  had  been  rescued 
from  under  the  snow-slide.  The  games 
stopped  and  the  men  at  the  tables  ordered 
their  drinks  from  the  waiters.  The  dance 
in  the  adjooining  room  stopped  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  set,  while  men  and  women  crowded 
about  the  bar. 

Only  three  in  that  room  did  not  rejoice 
at  the  news — Mary  Greenwater,  Coyote 
Jim  and  Eayder.  Amos  was  too  drunk  to 
know  whether  he  ought  to  be  sad  or  re- 
joice. He  did  neither,  but  gave  another 
loud  "Rah  for  Mary  Greenwater!"  when 
a  waiter  led  him  to  a  seat.  When  the  hub- 
bub of  voices  which  the  announcement  of 
the  rescue  had  created,  had  subsided  some- 
what, the  players  resumed  their  games  and 
amid  the  clink  of  chips  and  glasses,  could 
now  and  then  be  heard  from  some  game- 
ster, "Hold  on  there,  that's  mine!" 

Mary  Greenwater  went  to  the  faro  table. 
"Get  up,  Coyote,"  she  said,  "I'm  going  to 
bust  this  bank,  and  you  and  I  have  been 
together  so  much  that  they  will  think  you 
have  throwed  the  game.  Let  some  one  else 

237 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

deal."  Another  dealer  was  called  and 
Mary  laid  down  a  hundred  on  the  ace.  Men 
crowded  about  as  before,  when  she  was  at 
the  roulette  wheel.  There  was  a  hush  for 
a  moment,  when  the  clear  tones  of  a  man 
at  the  door  rang  out. 

"Hands  up,  everybody.  Don't  try  to  es- 
cape, the  doors  are  guarded ! ' ' 

All  was  confusion  in  an  instant.  Calam- 
ity Jane,  eyes  ablaze,  strode  from  behind 
the  curtain  in  the  dance  hall.  Quick  of  ac- 
tion, she  fired  at  the  nearest  hold-up  in 
mask.  The  uproar  was  furious.  The  lamps 
were  shot  out  by  confederates  of  the  hold- 
ups. The  ball  room  women  screamed  with 
fright,  while  jets  of  fire  spit  from  revolv- 
ers in  different  parts  of  the  room.  Men 
were  afraid  to  make  an  outcry,  lest  a  bullet 
would  follow  at  the  sound  of  their  voice. 
Coyote  Jim  was  crouching  like  a  tiger,  be- 
side the  stacks  of  coin  on  the  table.  In  his 
hand  was  a  long,  keen  blade.  He  felt  a 
stealthy  hand  near  his  own  and  he  lunged 
the  knife.  A  heavy  groan  and  a  few  words 
in  a  language  which  only  he  understood, 

238 


A  NIGHT  OF  TRAGEDIES. 

and  the  body  sank  to  the  floor.  The  tiger's 
blood  was  now  afire  and  he  leaped  upon 
the  faro  table,  revolver  in  hand.  His  form 
was  outlined  in  silhouette  by  a  light  across 
the  street,  when  a  spark  flashed  in  the 
darkness  and  he  fell  headlong  to  the  floor. 
There  was  a  heavy  roar  of  voices,  as  the 
men  stampeded  to  the  door. 

When  lights  were  brought  from  the  out- 
side, the  masked  men  were  gone  except  one. 
He  lay  dead  near  the  door,  with  a  bullet 
from  Calamity  Jane 's  revolver  in  his  brain. 
Coyote  Jim  lay  dead,  and  by  his  side,  Mary 
Greenwater,  with  her  life's  blood  still  ebb- 
ing from  the  knife  stab. 

From  this  scene  of  tragedy,  Amos  made 
his  escape  to  end  with  the  horrors  of  delir- 
ium at  home.  The  Bucket  of  Blood  had 
maintained  its  reputation. 

The  excitement  of  the  affair  spread  over 
the  town,  and  among  the  spectators  who 
crowded  in  was  a  haggard  man.  His  eyes 
were  hollow  and  deep-set,  showing  that  he 
had  undergone  a  severe  mental  strain  for 
weeks.  He  saw  them  lift  the  affrighted 

239 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

Rayder  from  his  place  of  safety  at  the 
base-board,  then  his  eyes  rested  on  the 
dead  woman  at  the  faro  table.  He  threw 
a  cloth  over  her  face,  and  sat  staring  into 
vacancy  until  the  undertaker  and  assist- 
ants came.  Then  he  took  the  undertaker 
aside  and  said :  * '  See  to  it  that  she  has  a 
Christian  burial.  I  will  be  responsible." 
When  she  was  buried  the  next  day,  there 
was  one  attendant  beside  the  undertaker 
and  his  assistants,  at  the  grave. 

The  tragedies  of  the  night  marked  a  new 
era  in  Saguache.  The  better  element  arose 
in  their  might  and  demanded  that  the 
Bucket  of  Blood  be  forever  closed. 


240 


xxvm. 

FBOM  OUT  THE  SHADOWY  PAST. 

When  Buchan  arose  in  the  cabin  and 
said  ' '  I  thought  I  heard  a  voice,  her  voice, ' ' 
I  was  amazed.  It  did  not  occur  to  me  that 
anyone  would  attempt  our  rescue,  else  why 
had  they  not  done  it  long  ere  this? 

He  opened  the  door  and  shouted,  then 
turning  to  me,  exclaimed :  ' '  They  are  dig- 
ging us  out. ' ' 

Our  hearts  leaped  for  joy.  We  shook 
hands  in  expression  of  delight  and  Buchan 
danced  a  highland  fling  around  the  room. 
Two  men,  snow-covered,  entered  and  hail- 
ed us  joyously.  Then  came  a  woman,  fol- 
lowed by  Carson.  She  ran  to  Buchan  and 
he  caught  her  in  his  arms.  I  was  deaf  and 
could  not  hear  what  they  said  or  I  would 
write  it  word  for  word,  but  he  kissed  her 
and  she  cried,  and  he  wiped  away  some 
tears,  and  I  turned  my  back  and  pretended 
to  be  talking  to  Carson. 

241 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

The  men  gathered  up  our  few  belongings 
and  we  hurriedly  left  the  cabin.  Sleds  were 
waiting  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and 
we  were  soon  speeding  toward  Saguache. 
The  air  was  crisp  and  the  stars  shone  like 
eyes  of  tender  sympathy  over  the  white 
plain.  We  were  brought  to  a  stop  at  the 
hotel.  Men  and  women  whom  we  had  never 
seen  came  and  joyfully  shook  us  by  the 
hands,  and  had  much  to  say  in  congratula- 
tion. The  news  of  Hattie  's  arrival  and  her 
interest  in  Buchan  had  spread  over  the 
camp,  and  many  were  the  motherly  old  wo- 
men who  came  to  say  sympathetic  things 
and  invite  her  to  their  homes,  so  great  was 
their  admiration  for  her  loyalty  and  sacri- 
fice for  the  man  she  loved. 

The  next  day  a  mass  meeting  was  called 
by  the  citizens.  The  Lone  Tree  saloon  and 
dance  hall  had  to  go.  A  railroad  survey 
had  been  completed  through  the  town,  and 
public  works  had  been  projected  by  the 
newly-elected  city  council.  A  new  era  was 
dawning  for  Saguache.  The  hall  was 
crowded,  as  one  citizen  after  another  spoke 

242 


FROM  OUT  THE  SHADOWY  PAST. 

of  the  future  possibilities  of  the  town,  and 
a  good  government  that  would  no  longer 
tolerate  a  lawless  element.  When  resolu- 
tions were  passed  and  the  assembly  was 
ready  to  adjourn,  one  speaker  arose  and 
said  he  heartily  endorsed  everything  that 
was  said  and  done  there  that  evening,  but 
there  was  another  matter  which  should 
have  attention:  One  of  the  men  rescued 
from  under  the  snow-drift  had  just  mar- 
ried the  girl  who  had  arrived  a  few  days 
before  from  California,  and  his  partner 
who  led  the  rescue  party  had  married  an 
estimable  younng  woman  of  the  town.  The 
double  wedding  had  occurred  at  the  hotel 
an  hour  before,  and  he  thought  it  would  be 
fitting  to  celebrate  the  event  and  the  new 
era  of  Saguache  with  a  dance  that  night,  in 
which  everybody  should  be  asked  to  partic- 
ipate. A  roar  of  approval  greeted  the 
speaker.  There  was  no  resolution  or  mo- 
tion. None  was  needed.  Men  instantly  set 
to  work  clearing  the  hall  of  chairs,  while  a 
committee  was  sent  to  the  hotel  to  an- 
nounce to  Buchan  and  Carson  that  a  dance 


243 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

had  been  arranged  that  night  in  their 
honor. 

Men  came  with  their  wives  and  their 
sweethearts,  dressed  just  as  they  were 
from  their  work,  and  the  women  as  they 
were  in  their  homes.  Evening  clothes 
would  have  been  as  much  out  of  place  in 
that  ballroom,  as  the  garb  of  a  workman 
would  be  out  of  place  in  the  ballroom  of  the 
Waldorf-Astoria.  The  orchestra  struck  up, 
and  Buchan  and  Hattie  were  given  the 
place  of  honor  in  the  dance.  Carson  and 
Annie,  being  better  known,  felt  that  they 
should  largely  play  the  part  of  host  and 
yielded  every  honor  to  Buchan  and  Hattie. 
The  music  was  good.  Everybody  joined  in 
the  spirit  of  goodfellowship,  and  the  dance 
continued  until  the  small  hours  of  the  morn- 
ing. 

It  was  toward  the  close  that  Bayder 
came  upon  the  floor  with  a  fat  widow  mil- 
liner. He  had  taken  a  few  drinks  of  gin 
and  was  trying  to  act  kittenish  when,  in  the 
midst  of  a  cotillion,  the  widow  fell  to  the 
floor  in  an  epileptic  fit.  They  bore  the  wo- 

244 


FBOM  OUT  THE  SHADOWY  PAST. 

man  to  an  adjoining  room,  where  she  soon 
recovered,  but  it  was  such  a  shock  to  Kay- 
der's  nerves  that  he  went  out  and  braced 

up  on  a  little  more  gin. 

****** 

I  was  at  the  governor's  reception  in  the 
state  capitol  of  Colorado.  The  rooms  and 
corridors  were  brilliantly  lighted.  Men  and 
women  in  rich  attire  were  there  to  do  honor 
to  the  occasion.  I  was  seated  behind  a  dec- 
oration of  palms,  when  a  prominent  attor- 
ney and  a  companion  took  seats  near  me. 

A  heavy  set  man  with  a  woman  leaning 
on  his  arm  entered  the  corridor.  They 
were  well,  but  modestly  dressed.  There 
were  grey  streaks  in  their  hair,  but  their 
steps  were  firm  and,  both  were  the  pic- 
ture of  good  health,  evidence  of  good  and 
wholesome  lives. 

"Here  comes  Senator  Buchan  and  lady," 
said  the  attorney  to  his  companion.  "I 
knew  those  people  twenty-five  years  ago. 
I  was  one  of  a  party  to  rescue  Buchan  and 
a  companion  from  under  a  snow  slide  in 
the  Sangre  de  Christo  mountains.  The  girl 

245 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW 

had  come  all  the  way  from  California  to 
help  in  the  rescue.  I  don't  believe  she 
would  have  lived  two  days  longer  if  we  had 
not  got  him  out.  Shows  what  the  right  sort 
of  love  will  do.  It  stands  the  test  of  time. 
There  is  no  divorce  business  in  that. 
Buchan  had  an  iron  will,  too.  Somehow  he 
and  his  partners  had  discovered  a  lost 
Spanish  mine  and  did  not  know  its  value  on 
account  of  some  trickery  of  an  assayer. 
But  Silas  Eayder  did,  so  Eayder  hounded 
the  boys  to  sell  and  finally  when  he  offered 
a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  they 
closed  the  deal.  Carson  had  just  married, 
too.  He  took  his  money  and  invested  it  in 
a  flouring  mill.  I  do  not  know  what  became 
of  the  other  fellow,  but  Buchan  put  his 
money  in  a  bank  and  it  failed  in  less  than 
three  months  and  he  went  to  running  an 
engine  on  the  Eocky  Mountain  railroads. 
It  was  a  pretty  hard  knock,  but  right  there 
is  where  that  girl  came  to  the  front  like  a 
guardian  angel.  She  told  him  that  perhaps 
it  was  all  for  the  best.  Eiches  do  not  al- 
ways bring  happiness.  It  is  adversity  that 

246 


FROM  OUT  THE  SHADOWY  PAST. 

brings  to  the  surface  our  better  natures 
and  fires  our  ambitions  to  the  nobler  and 
grander  things  of  life. 

' '  Buchan  must  have  had  this  in  mind,  for 
while  he  was  running  his  engine  he  was  al- 
ways trying  to  help  some  poor  fellow.  He 
accepted  his  lot  in  life  and  worked  for  years 
content  with  the  love  of  that  woman  and 
when  people  saw  he  was  made  of  the  right 
sort  of  stuff  they  elected  him  to  the  legis- 
lature and  his  very  first  act  was  to  put 
through  a  bill  making  eight  hours  a  legal 
day's  work.  That  very  act  took  the  yoke  of 
bondage  off  more  than  half  a  million  work- 
ers. 

"It  turned  out  just  as  the  girl  said.  He 
has  served  the  people  three  terms  and  if 
he  had  not  worked  for  their  interests  they 
would  never  have  sent  him  back  the  third 
time. 

"Adversity,  sir,  is  of  times  the  making  of 
us.  I  never  thought  so  when  Bob  Lee  sur- 
rendered and  our  dreams  of  imperialism 
vanished  and  left  most  of  us  without  a  dol- 
lar. But  I  can  see  now  it  is  all  for  the 

247 


WHERE  STRONGEST  TIDE  WINDS  BLEW. 

best.  As  a  nation  united  we  welcome  all 
men  regardless  of  their  nationality,  and, 
in  return,  they  give  us  the  best  thoughts  the 
world  can  produce. ' ' 

"Rayder,  what  became  of  him?"  asked 
his  companion. 

"When  Eayder  bought  the  mine  he 
thought  he  had  millions  but  he  only  took 
out  of  it  about  enough  to  get  even  when  the 
vein  gave  out  between  two  big  slabs  of 
granite  that  came  together  like  the  thin 
end  of  a  wedge.  A  widow  who  had  fits 
sued  him  about  this  time  for  a  breach  of 
promise,  and  either  to  get  out  of  that  or  get 
square  with  some  old  enemy,  he  married  the 
widow  Amos." 

I  arose  and  stood  before  the  attorney  and 
his  companion.  "I  want  to  shake  hands 
with  you,  sir,"  I  said.  He  arose,  and  in 
extending  his  hand,  said:  "Your  name, 
please?" 

' '  I  am  the  other  fellow  you  rescued  from 
the  cabin,"  I  replied. 

(THE  END.) 


248 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

305  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •  Box  951388 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library  from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


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